


Going Nowhere Alone

by SS98



Series: Terra Alpha [1]
Category: Larry Stylinson - Fandom, One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alpha Edward, Alpha Harry, Alpha Marcel, Alpha/Omega, Ambush, Anal Sex, Angst, Attempted Kidnapping, Boss Harry, Bottom Louis, Butt Plugs, Death, Dom Edward, Dom Harry, Dom Marcel, Drugs, Explicit Sexual Content, Feminization, Fire, Fluff and Smut, Forgive me for my inability to tag adequately, Foursome? lol, Gay Sex, Hercules as a shapeshifting pet, Hybrid Louis, Incest, Innocent Louis, Jealous Harry, Knotting, Louis does not die, M/M, Marcel calls Louis Pumpkin Spice, Mating Bond, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Mating Marks, Mpreg, Mpreg Louis, Multi, None of the triplets die, Nouis, Nova Scotia, Omega Louis, Omega Niall, Possessive Behavior, Possessive Harry, Possible Character Death, Protective Harry, Rut, Rutting, Sassy Louis, Sex Toys, Sexual Tension, Shapeshifters - Freeform, Shy Louis, Smut, Spanking, Styles Triplets, Sub Louis, Swearing, Top Edward, Top Harry, Top Marcel, Triple Penetration, Twincest, Violence, Virgin Louis, WOO HOO, Werewolf Edward, Werewolf Harry, Werewolf Marcel, Werewolves, Whatever you want to tall it, aka Louis will be pregnant for 2 and a half months, but there is death, it's not common, no not their spawn either lol, not like 50 but still, oh! lots of babies, sibling sex, soulbonding, well sorta, wolf pregnancy?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-09
Updated: 2016-05-01
Packaged: 2018-03-29 18:08:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 26
Words: 153,734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3905821
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SS98/pseuds/SS98
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>Nothing can save you from the night, and if it can then it was born there.</i>
</p><div class="center">
  <p><br/>*   *    *   *   *<br/></p>
</div>There's Harry, Edward and Marcel. Harry serves as pack leader to the last remaining house of werewolves. Edward, his brother, finds joy in sex and banter with strangers. Marcel plays along for as long as he can before morals corrupt his act.<p>Louis romanticises life so it doesn't seem as shallow to him. Being Omega isn't a joyride but three Alphas are determined to change that.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**_[A/N: *heavy breathing*]_ **

_'Every ten years there is a new game that's played. The Terra Alpha Games. A new city every time and a fresh round of contestants. The prize is unimaginable, and the cost is the Alphas' survival. There are sixteen Alpha houses entering, and one will return alive.'_

***NARRATOR'S POV***

When Louis was eight years old he asked to spend the day at the Snow Cabin with the older Omegas he knew at the time. It was up on a lone hill outside the institution he'd be attending later as a boarding school for Omegas. 

The lovely Snow Cabin got its name from the enchantment around it. No matter the actual weather or time of year, there was always snow around this little cottage in the woods. This is where most Omegas met their Alphas. Not in a brothel sense, oh no.

Every year the most mature new Omegas - that is ranging from seventeen to nineteen years old - are taken up to the cabin to stay for a period of two days. It was in their last year at the boarding school, and if they returned without an Alpha house then they were stuck for an eternity without love or freedom. It was safe up there of course, because Omegas didn't have physical strength. That's the Alphas' jobs. 

Louis was eight when he saw his first mating pair meet. It was the sweetest thing he's ever witnessed and remembers peering through a window from the cabin with all the other Omegas, watching as they spoke for the first time. The Alpha had to offer the Omega something, an item to show his worth. She could accept or reject him then, and leave.   
The Omega Louis watched when he was ten years away from his own turn, was approached by the biggest and most handsome Alpha he's ever seen. He had won the Terra Alpha Games that year, and the scars had healed over already. 

He remembers so clearly that day, the beauty of their loving bond from the moment they were paired. When he walked, the snow was tramped and branches cracked under his footing. With her graceful movements and delicacy, not even a footprint was left in the white blanket beneath her feet. 

He also recalls getting to meet that Alpha, when the Omega with him called out. 

"H-Hi." Louis smiled courteously up at the Alpha, clinging to Belle's leg. She was his friend since he first got put into this institution. 

Alphas were proud and hostile, but this one had a kind smile and knelt down in the snow to communicate with this boy that his Omega was so fond of. 

"Hello, love." He pushed Louis' hair back for him. "I'm Henry. What's your name?"

"Louis Tomlinson, sir." 

"No sir." He tapped Louis' nose. "We're friends, aren't we?"

"We are?" Louis' eyes sparkled and beside him, Belle held his shoulders squared. 

"Yes indeed." 

Ten years ago, Louis was fascinated and in love with the idea of finding someone - or someone finding him - to care for him beyond any ill judgments. 

In present day, nothing about that has changed. 

"Louis, you know Madam will have us hanged for not preparing the hall before we leave!" Alyx, Louis' best friend, is doing her job of yelling at him whenever he sat. 

To his best defence, he's been on his feet since three this morning trying to set up their school's grand hall. The Alpha houses were arriving today but he would not be around to meet them because his friends had a field trip to venture out on. 

"Petals. Leaves. Tissue." Alyx chanted as she floated from table to table, managing the centrepieces. "Louis!"

"Coming!" He laughs, not too loudly lest Madam reprimand him for it, and goes back to work. 

They'd be waiting tonight when they got back from their field trip, serving their designated tables and Alpha families. Louis is terrified. 

After his duty of filling the centre vase with water and crystal blue pebbles - Alyx says there's no shade in the world that can match his eyes but these got close enough - he takes the bowls out to the storage room. Alyx has to get the trays for serving tonight and he just really wants to nap before the trip. 

"I heard they'll start showing up in an hour." Alyx unlocks the storage room with her key. 

She's always been very beautiful, even as a ten year old when Louis and her first arrived. He had to grow into his cheekbones and round Mediterranean eyes, but her amber orbs and glowing skin always suited her. She had prominent collarbones and a dazzling smile. 

"I wanted to be _gone_ by the time they arrived." Louis takes the trays after dumping his bowls, and helps her lock up again. 

"Why?" She looks at him like he's the only odd creature on this planet. "Everyone loves meeting the Alphas."

"They didn't pick their Omega partners yet you know." He bites his lip worriedly and shrugs. 

For the Games, an Alpha House could to pick the Omega from the establishment hosting the event - this year it was Louis' school - as a wrongly intended 'mate'. These Omegas were also put in as part of the Games itself. It was just for the duration of the Games, and if the Alpha didn't want the Omega afterwards then there was nothing you could do. Nobody denies Alphas anything so that poor Omega would be left without chastity, nothing to offer another Alpha to bond him/her.  
That's what Louis thought at least, until he learned that there are just two virgins in his school and one is himself. 

"They can't pick from students, Lou." His best friend rolls her eyes at him. "You know that."

"Not true." He jogs to keep up with her mile-long legs. "No Alpha has ever chosen a student, there's no rule protecting us specifically."

"Alphas have morals, Louis."

"Not enough for them to bond an Omega partner after they've used us."

"Lou-" Their school bell ringing out across the courtyard interrupts her. "Madam's going to come check on the hall. Let's go!"

  
* * * * *  


"Harry, straighten your jacket."

"Will you please button up your collar?"

"You're not even wearing a suit!"

"Harry, we agreed-"

Unable to handle the rambling of his brothers, Harry growls at them with his eyes flickering from mismatched black on one side and green on the other to feral red. They're all Alphas so they're not frightened by him, but he's a pack leader - their pack leader - and therefore they must respect him above all else. 

"We're helping you." Brother Marcel, crosses his buff arms over his pitch black suit jacket. 

"You can't help Satan, Marcel." Brother Number Two with a talent for dancing on Harry's nerves, Edward Styles, speaks up from the adjacent seat in their SUV. 

"Ed." Marcel disapproves. 

"I'm worse than Satan." Harry's eyes glow in the blackness of their car's interior. "He can make you jump off a bridge or murder someone. I can make you tear yourself open."

"Harry!" 

"Marcel, our mother died so we wouldn't have someone to hound us. Shut up."

"Our mother died because of our father's knot." Edward casually corrects. It's true, their mother had gotten weak and their father hadn't stopped his rut. 

Marcel's strong, but the weakest of the triplets. He looks green to them now, and Harry cracks a chuckle. "You're so sensitive."

"You two are foul creatures." Marcel snaps, turning away from them to look out a window.

"Nobody will ever love Harry, we know." Edward rolls his eyes. "We all won't get a mate because of his _manners_."

"Are we getting a partner for the Games?" Edward's eyes have that childish glint in them again. 

"No." Marcel nearly shouts. 

"Yes." Harry could whisper and it would be louder. 

"Pack leader's orders." Edward claps Marcel's knee. 

"He can be the Pope if he wants but you're my brother first and I will not let either of you repeat what happened in Aspen."

Aspen was a bad, bad time for their pack. The triplets' father was still leader and he got into a fight with the local pack. His three sons, devious at twenty-three years of age, convinced one of that pack's Omegas to come over. They knotted him repeatedly. Marcel couldn't hurt him afterwards, but Harry and Edward had no remorse. The lad they'd taken went back with his body sealed where an Omega usually accepts a knot. They'd sewn it closed with ordinary cotton. 

That night they were banned from any Omega who they don't plan to mate definitively - which was brought from three to one as further punishment. Harry was also made pack leader that night because acts of violence were revered.

"What if we promise not to sew their hole closed?" Edward chuckled and Harry's smirk extended towards his right dimple.

"It would defeat the purpose of having that Omega if we did." Harry adds. 

"No." Marcel growls but it's like a puppy to Edward and maybe a duck to Harry. 

"We will get an Omega." Harry says, in that voice he uses when he's speaking to the pack. "And you _will_ touch them, Marcel."

"You can't make me have sex."

"He's got the upper hand on Satan." Edward is staring out the window as they roll into the beautiful establishment's front courtyard of stone. "He can do whatever he wants."

  
* * * * *  


"One car is already here." Madam announces. She is pleased with the way they arranged the hall and complimented Louis and Alyx. "Go!"

It's tradition to have all the Omegas present at the door when the Alpha houses arrive. Some were already selected to take the Alphas to their quarters.

"I got a message from Niall." Alyx tucks a sheet of paper away in her hoodie. "He's waiting out front by the truck."

Louis nods, grinning as his thrilling enthusiasm begins to spread all over his body. They rush out of the hall like birds in flight, and race towards the storage room for their bags. Louis forgets about his prior need to nap. 

The buzz of Alphas arriving is alive as everyone crowds the yard and hallways a peek at the new Terra Alpha competitors. It's hard to weave through them all.   
Teachers at the front, dean right in the middle and students cramming around them. Louis and Alyx get to the front gardens just in time for the first car door to open. 

It's like a deep breath made by a thousand people. 

The scent hits Louis first and he gets a mixture of traces. Nerves - why would an Alpha be nervous? - cologne and blood - Louis won't even think about why this is in the mix. He can't see them because the crowd he's caught in keeps trying to get closer while he's trying to escape, Alyx is holding his hand and dragging him along. 

He gets closer to Niall's beat-up truck that's parked and waiting around the corner, when he gets the first glimpse of the Alpha house. They're all tall and intimidating, with _identical_ features from the chocolate long curly-tipped hair to muscular limbs and tall, lean stature. The last one out though, is the most pronounced. He's obviously their leader despite being siblings - what other reason is there? - because he's just taller, with bigger arms and long fingers that are curled into tight fists. His eyes, although Louis can't see what colour, are mismatched and he seems to look at everything while staring at one thing. 

He gets to the bottom of the staircase away from the gathering and Alyx turns her back on the yard to talk to him. 

"Niall went to get something so we'll wait here until he's back." She tells him, putting her phone away and dropping her bag with a thump. 

That thump gets Harry's attention. His senses are three times as sharp and he had to work extremely hard to hone them in, make them fit well together so it didn't end up hurting him. The thump makes him turn his head and he knows before he can look, that two Omegas aren't paying them any mind already. 

How rude.

As yet another tradition, the Alpha houses must prove that they are legit - many Beta's have crashed the event with scent spray - by parading their other form for all to see. Alpha's were different shapeshifters: wolves, foxes, lynxes, bears. 

"There's Niall." Alyx picks her bag back up and nods in the direction of a corner door in the building. 

Louis sighs as he can finally stand and get going. The cheers of the crowd are interrupted at intervals when a very threatening sound comes from one of the three Alpha arrivals. Even Louis shivers from it. 

"Oh my God." Alyx has her neck craned - she is quite tall already - to see over the mass of swooning individuals. 

"What?" Louis doesn't try to look, he gave up on stretching on his tiptoes a long time ago. "What is it?"

"Three of 'em." She says, grabbing Louis' wrist and tugging him towards the water fountain at the eye of the courtyard. "Get up there."

He huffs, insulted because of his height, and climbs - it's very high - onto the water feature's bowl-like edge. From here he can see everything, given if he doesn't fall over from sheer clumsiness. 

"Oh my God is right." He draws out his syllables in awe. "What are they doing here?"

"They're gonna win." Alyx brushes her hair back. "Every Alpha's just going to turn back around."

"That's not nice."

"They're _werewolves_ , Lou! Look at that middle one."

There was only one tribe of thoroughbred werewolf left and Louis never saw them but he heard that the leader was silently ruthless. 

Louis squints - Omega senses aren't spectacular - and notes that the middle one is more superior to the other two. They're brothers - triplets - and werewolves. Almost shoulder-length hair and eyes so dark that there are little stars in the shades of colours from the sun's light. 

"Are they changing?" Now Alyx asks him for intel. 

"Dean's talking to them." He leaves out the part that just one is listening and the biggest one looks like he's ready to murder everyone for just looking at him. 

"Now?"

"Think so." He's never seen a werewolf transformation but from homework assignments, he knows it's excruciating the first couple of times. 

It's almost magical actually. 

First everyone falls dead silent, then there's the cracking the knuckles and popping of bones into place. 

The one who was actually giving their Dean the time of day, fluidly transformed into a light grey wolf with clean white socks at his paws, standing as tall as maybe five and a half feet. He looked soft, with groomed hair and an almost fluffy exterior. He had a gentle approach. 

The second one was darker grey and he was well on his way to six feet, with less fur and more muscular legs. He stood up tall and proud but they didn't stand to their full height, because the final component of the trio was left and he demanded the most respect. 

Louis was anticipating this one and he committed each bit of his transformation sequence to memory. 

His bones _cracked_ like he was impatient and not prepared to wait for them to relax into position. He forced them into place and didn't even flinch at what must be the most painful thing ever. His back split first where his spine ran up to his hairline, giving way to a band of raw angry red flesh. Then his knuckles tore and hair grew. His height spiked to maybe eight feet or a close decimal to that. 

He was the least beautiful and most marred. At his muzzle, the skin over his left canine was torn so the sharp tooth was exposed. Fur was lost at some parts because of hideous scars - his ribcage, hind legs and neck. The back left paw was shattered-looking with no fur at all on the foot. 

People kept their gasps inside but a few let it slip. This would of course be a shock; Alpha leaders of packs must be majestic and beautiful. They're the most in demand by Omegas. But this man was different, he was tragically met with fate at the wrong time and now he carries battle scars. His wolf form speaks of his hard life and people are not so attracted to him now. 

He though, didn't appear shaken by their disgust for a second. His front legs were long and built for sprinting wars. His back was arched perfectly so he stood proud and tall. 

"That's so sad." The murmuring began as Louis tore his eyes away from the scene and listened to Alyx. 

"What is?" He asks distractedly. 

Alyx pulls herself out of a conversation with a nearby student and looks up at him sadly. "That's the Styles house, from Nova Scotia. The big one? His name's Harry and he's the pack leader."

"He looks so young." Louis doesn't remember much of his human physical features but they were quite young for a werewolf pack leader. 

"Twenty-four is their age. All three of 'em."

Louis nods as yet another silence falls on these crowded spectators. Their Dean is speaking to the big one - Louis will call him the Modern Achilles - about something. Asking him? He isn't too sure. The light grey wolf - Louis can't see beyond Cuddly for his nickname - answers instead. The next thing they hear is a soft rumble becoming a deafening echo, a growl from Modern Achilles and an angry snap of his jaw. 

Louis' stunned. His own brother? Why would someone act so rudely towards their kin? He even made Cuddly whine so he's forced into submitting.

"That's mean." He comments, breaking custom of being soft and speaking above the tangible silence unintentionally. 

Alyx is startled by his voice ringing so clearly over the crowd and yanks him down to the ground by his wrist when people start to look back at them. 

"Lou!" She whisper-shouts. "They heard you."

Indeed they had, for the three Alphas looked over their shoulders for who had been so bold. Harry is especially curious because such a person must not be someone he's acquainted with.  
Realising his sloppy mistake, Louis doesn't hesitate to follow Alyx through the bodies - keeping behind or between larger forms for camouflage. They get to Niall's truck in the record timing of twenty seconds and are long gone out the back gate before Harry reaches the water feature. 

The Alpha sniffs because he knows two people have left. Apart from the thrumming of a dying engine, there were two scents lingering here with no person to be attached to. Unmated. One overshadowed the other with its purity and sweetness. Harry's primal instinct wants to step a little closer and _taste_ that scent, so mesmerising in its first whiff.   
He decides then that he wants this Omega for a partner during the Games and nothing's changing his mind.

  
* * * * *  


It's three and a half hours later when Louis, Alyx and Niall return from their waterfall expedition. It's their getaway and from tonight when the dozens of Alpha Houses present themselves in their grand hall, the Terra Alpha Games have begun. 

The first stage was to use pick out the strongest sixteen Alpha houses then select the Alphas. All others were sent home. The Omega partners were then chosen before prep for the next day begins. 

"Why are we even part of this?" Niall ponders out loud. "They're always telling us that the Games aren't for Omegas and we shouldn't get ourselves hurt."

"They're brainless." Alyx shakes her head and laughs. "Omegas are objects to them."

"I don't think so." Louis disagrees in a soft voice. He isn't one to usually just say things unfiltered but today is a day for firsts clearly. 

"Because, Lou-" Niall throws an arm over Louis' straight but small shoulders. "-you like staying at home with a hundred pups to control."

"He only babysitted once, Niall, and it was to cover for you." Alyx defends Louis' parenting impulses.

"He offered." Niall bites back. "You offered, right Lou?"

"I offered." Louis giggles at his bantering best friends. 

Once back in their hostel, Louis finds out that they're working in shifts tonight at the grand hall. His hostel will take the second of the three shifts and the other two can be spent actually enjoying the event. It was a masquerade theme this year and Louis has been making his mask for the past month. 

Their outfits were big and old-fashioned back to early English times. Louis' was lent to him by a personal favourite teacher who wanted to see him find a mate and have lots of babies so she could be godmother to them.   
The attire itself was a white dress shirt under a red waistcoat. There were fingerless gloves of yellow and red stripes on his right hand and pants as black as the night.

"Let's go already!" Niall has been lying across Louis' bed with his mask and outfit on, flinging bits of paper at either of the other two for entertainment. 

"Patience is a virtue." Louis sing-songs. 

"And you are nothing but virtuous, yeah Lou?"

"Shut up, Niall." Alyx apologises for the barbarian by pecking Louis' cheek, then hurling a hairbrush at the traitor himself. 

Louis' cheeks reddened from their perfectly pale complexion. He knows it's true that he's pretty much one of the two only undoubtedly virgin Omegas left in the school. The old tradition of keeping an Omega's purity to give their Alpha has died long ago with the centuries it was born to. Alphas didn't mind these days but Louis didn't like the idea of sex outside a courtship. Where's the romance?

"Sorry Lou." Niall hugged Louis' tummy - a feat that everyone Louis' met has come to lust after. 

"You didn't offend me, Niall." Louis giggles and pats his friend's head. "I'm a tough cookie."

"That you are, darling."

  
* * * * *  


The grand hall looks beautiful under the fairy lights Louis - not himself but rather asked Niall to climb a really tall ladder - set up on the ceiling. They twinkled and gave the illusion of stars at night, which made him grin with glee at how wonderful it all looked.

"Well done, guys." Madam, a lean woman with silver hair and low rosy cheeks, comes to hug them at the door. "Louis, that looks familiar."

"It's from Mrs. Lincoln." He answers, ignorant of the judgment in her voice when she heard it was a costume from their drama department. "I really liked it and she said I could borrow it."

"And the mask?"

"I made it." He blinks his bright blue eyes and adjusts the item perched on his nose. 

"It's lovely." And with that she walks way swiftly.

  
* * * * *  


"Be respectful, Harry." Marcel reprimands Harry - but makes it sound more like a suggestion - after he swore off their third waitress. 

"They're all sluts." The strongest Alpha snaps at his brother. "If she's willing to talk more than is required, she better be prepared to be punished for it."

"I liked her." Edward chewed on an asparagus stick. 

"First Omega you wouldn't have to lure into spreading her legs for you, of course you like her." Harry says back, dead and blank expression on his face. 

"Well there's that and the fact that I would have shared her with you, brother. We both know how possessive you get."

"You're forgetting you're not allowed to be Omegas until we mate." Marcel points out. 

"You're the only one following that rule, brother."

"What's wrong with just being celibate until we find an Omega we all like?" Marcel once again tries to reason with two males ruled by animal instinct. 

They blink at him like he's mentally challenged, and Harry even tilts his head to the side with a puzzled frown on his face. 

"Nevermind." The youngest triplet dismisses their delinquency just as a new waiter - male this time - hurries over to their table. "Be nice to this one."

"I make no promises and you know Harry won't." Edward smoothly whispers under the radar of this dainty Omega with feathery light brown hair and such piercing blue eyes standing out against the decorated mask he's wearing. 

"Your name is?" Marcel uses his voice before Harry can pick on something or Edward can snigger at another something. 

"Louis." Comes his answer in a soft but crisp voice that felt like a substitute for saviour sugar in the most bitter of coffees. "Louis Tomlinson."

"Well, Louis Tomlinson-"

"You're beautiful." Usually there's something cruel and snide about everything that comes out of Harry's mouth, but not this. It shocks his brothers into silence and stammers. 

Alphas can detect any creature's emotions from the pace of their heartbeat and through extra intuitive senses. Louis was chipper, up until Harry spoke, then his smile faltered a bit and he avoided the powerful Alpha's gaze at all costs. 

"Say-" Harry began to demand that Louis talk to him because he can and this Omega was plain disrespectful. 

"Can I have a bottle of water please, Louis?" Marcel interrupts the elder and smiles at the Omega's grateful glint in his eye. 

The grand hall fell silent moments later when Harry's fist came down on the table underneath it. The wood split into chips and grazed his hand but didn't cause a cringe. 

"How _dare_ you?!" He roared, standing to his full height so he kept Marcel in his seat and lower than him. 

"Harry-" 

"You speak and I will cause you more pain than you care to have nightmares about, Edward." Harry glares with liquid crimson orbs glowing against faint the candlelight of the candelabra. 

Edward, half risen from his seat, stands up but remains quiet. They've pushed their older brother far too much today and he, as pack leader, must be awarded the respect he has earned. 

"You will _never_ interrupt me again." Harry holds Marcel's tense jaw in his merciless grip. "Or you won't have a tongue to do it with next time."

Thankfully nothing except the chair's leg and table's edge is damaged in Harry's storm of an exit. Everyone's stiff as he is the most powerful individual in the room and now they've pissed him off even if they didn't say two words in his direction. 

Harry strides through the first door he sees and ends up outside, crickets droning on like flickering instrumentals in the background of the garden. There's a fish pond at the centre of a small garden here and on the high base sits a boy with short dangling legs and a mask in his hand. 

Louis was scared the moment Harry raised his voice, and escaped the drama immediately. 

Louis is startled by Harry's heavy footsteps leaving marble for grass. "A-Alpha. Do you need someth-"

"I want to be alone." Harry cuts across, not even looking his way. He scrunches his nose and frowns at a distasteful scent that hits him. "You smell like a whore."

Gasping from surprise at the insult, Louis looks at the ground ashamedly. "I-I....this jacket isn't mine."

Harry will admit he didn't notice a foreign jacket but it wasn't as if he was studying this little acquaintance. "You're still here?" 

"S-Sorry." 

Louis scrambles to his feet and hisses softly as the cold grass touching his bare feet. He'd taken off his shoes now that he's been standing, walking, running to serve for the past two hours. 

And his own scent, sweet like honey and delicate like a flower petal, races through the breeze to Harry's nose. 

"Wait." The Alpha barks before he can stop himself. "Turn around."

Louis bites his lip and looks at the Alpha shyly, arms hugging his middle and the jacket. He can't smell 'whore' on it and wraps it around his shoulders snuggly. 

"You." Harry takes a step forward involuntarily. "You were the one that left this morning."

Louis looks at him with confused eyes. Those eyes. Harry wants to carve them from stone and tattoo them to his beating heart. They're the most perfect things he's ever laid eyes on. 

"You said I was rude." Harry is now towering over the fragile Omega, who is still not meeting his eye. 

Opening his mouth, Louis thinks better of it and looks at his feet. "May I go?"

"Do you not like compliments?" He's referring to Louis freezing over at the table minutes prior. 

The Omega makes one jerking movement with his head, then does it again so it's a complete oscillation. He doesn't like compliments very much because they make him awkward. 

"Do I scare you?" 

Louis hesitates. 

"Do I?!"

"Y-Yes." Louis whispers, flinching at Harry's deep but booming voice and biting his wobbling lip. 

"Why do I scare you?"

Louis shrugs. "I-I.....-"

"When I smelt you earlier you smelled like a dream. My dream. Why do you wear this filthy jacket and hide that from me?"

"It was n-not intentional, Alpha."

Harry nods. "Why won't you look at me?"

"Must I?"

"It's manners and politeness. Do they not teach you that here?"

"Th-They do." Louis' gaze glances up at Harry before he turns to look at the grass again. 

"Are you a virgin, Louis?"

Louis' cheeks redden and his smile is forming a shy, conservative one. 

"You are." Harry sounds like he's in awe of this fantastic creature. "Just the subject makes you red."

"I-I am, yes." Louis confirms. 

It's settled then in Harry's mind. "You will be our partner for the Games."

This catches Louis by the nail of surprise and he immediately starts to object. "Alpha, I-....I can't."

"You don't get a say." Harry steps forward so Louis has to step back or hurt his curved spine. "I choose you and if you deny me the right to your body then I will find the bitch hybrid who gave you this jacket and make another one for you out of her skin."


	2. II

**_[A/N: This entire story is in Narrator's POV so I won't be marking that everywhere. Enjoy! - S xx]_ **

Louis' astounded, stunned to a gasp then silence, by this wolf's arrogance. The jacket is Alyx's and this leader wants to hurt her already. It frightens him and curiosity doesn't seem so appealing right now. So naturally, he does what anybody would, when their survival is threatened. 

He runs. 

He hasn't used his own wolf form for much other than training himself to control it. He too had instincts, survival and submissiveness all rolled into a beautiful snow white wolf with matching eyes. Now, he melts fluidly into his wolf as he takes a small dive.   
Harry's mesmerised just for a moment until he realises that this Omega is _running away_ from him, so he goes after him. 

Harry's wolf is a build-up of every red hot emotion he's ever experienced. That means his wolf is stronger, bigger and monstrous. It easily catches Louis' smaller blurry racing body, and Harry opens his mouth to snap at Louis' leg. The left hind leg gets caught between his powerful jaws, dagger teeth digging into the clean fur as the weaker creature howls in agony. 

Fuelled with determination, Harry pins Louis to the ground with his bite and waits for the wolf to stop fidgeting. Louis can handle pain better in his wolf form so he remains a hound, bleeding leg and whining with surges of pain. 

"Enough." Harry turns back to human form and looks behind him at the voices approaching. "You drew attention to us."

Louis' about to pass out with the pain and his breathing is laboured, forcing oxygen into his lungs to stay alive. He doesn't understand why this had to happen to him, not that it deserved to happen to anyone else for that matter. 

"Let's go." Harry kneels beside Louis and wolf form or not, picks him up off the ground. 

Louis never pictured his death like this. 

By the time the voices arrive at the spot where two strong scents mingle well, there's nobody there. Two of the people now present recognises the smell of their brother and take off immediately towards their accommodation cabin to find the bloody man. 

"Harry!" Marcel never shouts but the suffering Omega smell riddled with blood hasn't died the whole way here and he's troubled by it. 

"You don't think-" 

"If he did, I'll kill him." Marcel snaps at Edward, then softens. "Sorry."

They go upstairs to their bedroom and burst through the heavy wooden door, not ready for the sight that's revealed to them. 

"What the fuck, Harry?!" Edward shouts at his identical sibling, while Marcel just pushes Harry away from the whimpering Omega on their bed and tries to calm him down. 

Harry ignores him and watches Marcel with hawk eyes as Marcel dresses the wound on the Omega's leg. This one really is enticing, such enchanting blue eyes and delectably soft skin everywhere.   
The academy would probably never give this one to them if he asked. 

"What were you thinking?" Marcel scolds Harry. "He's scared out of his mind."

"I heard." Harry smirks, referring to Louis' rambling to Marcel while he was bandaged. 

"It's not funny, you idiot." Marcel bites. "He said you chose him as a partner."

"Yes."

"No." Marcel says firmly. "No, you will not go near him again."

"What makes you think you can tell me what to do?"

"I know you have some decency under all that Alpha wolf hardness. He's injured and he won't heal quickly."

"Then he will stay here until he's better."

"We will be-"

"I said he's staying, Marcel. You can sleep with the dogs if you don't like it."

Marcel sighs and decides that if his lunatic brother is staying here with the Omega, he has to. Edward nods as well, but he's fuming underneath and goes to sit on the edge of the bed. Louis' asleep on his front and the bandaged leg sticking out from under the covers. 

"He would have been the perfect choice." Edward comments to no one in particular. "For a mate."

"Yeah." Marcel agrees. 

"He's a student here." Harry breaks their illusion selfishly. "They won't let us have him even if we wanted him."

Harry leaves the room after that and Edward finds Marcel sitting next to him with a heavy sigh.

"What?" Edward nudges his younger brother. 

"Our leader is an idiot." 

"Stale news, Marcy." 

Marcel makes a dissatisfied groan and looks at their guest, asleep on the plush mattress like he weighs nothing. There's delicacy and a soft aura about this wonderful creature that all three brothers want to bottle and keep captive forever. 

"He smells nice." Edward's voice breaks their admirable silence. 

Marcel's about to say something to reprimand Edward for such an inappropriate remark at a moment like that, but Louis awakens and he can't. The Omega blinks to open his bloodshot eyes and gasps when he sees these two sitting so close to him. He scrambles backward with the sheets, fear and confusion in his eyes. 

"Hey, it's okay." Marcel uses a calm voice. "Remember me?"

Louis bites his lip but nods slowly. He remembers Marcel as the one who helped him, maybe not his name but that's still something. His oceanic orbs flicker to Edward now, troubled by his silence. 

"I'm Edward." Says he. 

"Marcel." The youngest adds. "We're brothers."

Louis could have guessed that. So far, he knows one brother is big and evil and he wants little to do with him; but the youngest - the very light grey wolf he supposes - is warm and welcoming. He likes him. The middle one Louis will come to know more about later. 

"You smell good." Edward let's it slip and Marcel glares at him. 

This is a foreign place for Louis. He hardly knows one of the two people present with him, and zilch about the second one. Edward's compliment made Louis nervous. As a silent word of thanks he shuffles forward and puts himself on Marcel's lap.   
It surprises the Alpha but not enough to disable his senses and not hold onto Louis' waist to keep him from falling. 

"I'm the one who said you smell nice." Edward feigns his misery. 

Marcel scowls at him. "Shh, Edward."

Edward keeps up his facade until all three of the room's occupants hear heavy footsteps ascending the staircase. Marcel looks to Edward for help but is obviously not willing to give up the Omega in his arms. 

"Fine." Edward huffs and stands up. "I'll go tell him to take a long walk off a short pier."

When he's gone after closing the door soundly, Marcel stops rubbing Louis' back even though the boy finds it extremely soothing to his high-strung nerves. 

"L-Love?" Now that Marcel's alone with an Omega as beautiful as Louis, he's minutely insecure. "What's your name?"

"Louis." The blue-eyed Omega replies in a voice that no longer croaks, and sounds like verbal honey. "Louis Tomlinson."

Marcel realises he's the Omega from the banquet tonight, with a red and gold mask who smelt like all the sweetest seasons. 

"Does your leg hurt, Louis Tomlinson?" 

Louis nods his reply and nuzzles Marcel's neck near the collar of his costume shirt. It's a calming scent, an Alpha's smell. 

"One to ten?" 

Louis chews his lip before answering. "E-Eight?"

"I'm sorry about my brother's inability to control himself." Marcel apologises for Harry. "He's more beast than Harry sometimes."

The Omega knows, he's witnessed this horror first hand. He likes the smell of Marcel Styles, he had the firm hint of an Alpha with several helpful and caring traits. He was nice to cuddle with in human form, just like Louis predicted. 

"He said you have to stay here." Marcel continues, thumbing circles on Louis' hip bone because it was relaxing for him too. "But you don't have to if you don't want to. I know he's scary but-"

"I will stay."

"-Edward and I won't let anything- What?"

"I'll stay." Louis giggles, blushing a pretty pink. 

Outside, Harry's at his capacity with taking orders from one or both of his ignorant brothers. That bed was his too and he was tired enough to call it a night. 

"Edward I'm giving you ten seconds to move away from the door." Harry leaned against the staircase pole with his arms crossed an angry frown. 

"Fine." Edward was lazy so he decided that he better tell Marcel to get out before Harry went in. "Give me a minute."

Marcel looked up from Louis' neck when Edward walked in again, the bearer of bad news. 

"I heard-" Marcel waves him off. "-but Louis just fell asleep."

"Get him up then?" His brother didn't have to call Edward a fool for him to know. "Well what do you want me to do?"

"Nothing." The youngest sighs. "Send him-"

Before he could finish Harry is opening the door and walking in without a care to be at least quiet. Marcel doesn't even try telling Harry off - he's done that one too many times today with no results - and let's the man go wordlessly into the bathroom. 

"The bed's not big enough." Edward says. "I'll sleep on the couch downstairs."

"Thank you." Marcel's worn out himself. 

"You're making breakfast tomorrow."

"Tomorrow is the first challenge." 

"I know. We'll see what it is in the morning." Edward presses a soft kiss to Marcel's forehead but doesn't touch the Omega he didn't get permission from yet. "Good night."

"Happy sleeping." 

"I should be telling you that."

Marcel scoffs and lays Louis back down reluctantly on the bed, setting his head to be cradled by a plush feather pillow. He isn't leaving the room but he had to shower before bed, there was no exception to that rule. When Harry comes out a few minutes later, Louis is sound asleep and the bigger Alpha doesn't seem to care as he flops down. 

"Harry." Marcel drags out the older male's name. "He's sleeping."

"This is my bed."

"This is _our_ bed and he-" As Marcel's completing his sentence, the ripple effect of Harry's forceful movements made Louis shift towards him. "-could like you if you tried."

Harry looks at the petite form under the comforter and forgets his brother is there for a few seconds short of a minute. He had too much pride to move closer himself but Louis looked so soft and innocent while he slept, free of pain and completely partner-worthy. Harry does the bed movement again but it doesn't get him his desired results so he turns to just watch Louis as he slept. 

Louis liked sleeping on his front, one hand between them and the other under his pillow. He looked so still, tranquil. Harry wants to feel his hand just for the craving his inner Alpha conjured.

"You really are beautiful." Harry whispers to thin air and reaches out to brush Louis' hand. 

It turns into a caress that has Louis' smaller hand flexing to wrap around Harry's two fingers. It's not something Harry has seen before anywhere but it seems to appease the needs of a greedy inner Alpha wolf. The same wolf wasn't used to clean contact outside of combat but this snowy wolf with dazzling oceanic blue eyes was enchanting and pure to the cells of his core. 

"You want to be in the middle?" Marcel had somehow gotten out of the bathroom and passed Harry's radar. 

It surprised the other Alpha and he withdrew his hand with a little resistance from Louis and cute frown on his brow, but Harry forces his hand free anyway. Little dregs of regret pass through him and it makes his irritation hard. He turns on the other side and away from the other two occupants even though he really wants to share some space with Louis. 

Marcel rolls his eyes at his brother's arrogance and crawls into the middle gap. He has to turn on a side and chooses to face dear Louis who even in sleep, seems to realize that the large and rough hand he once held has let him go.   
Harry responds by doing nothing and staying wide awake until halfway through the night when Marcel is knocked out with Louis curled up on his side, making Harry's inner Alpha rumble out of envy. He blamed himself. 

By one in the morning Marcel pays a visit to the third triplet who was made to sleep downstairs, just to check on him. Harry's awake even then and his jealousy has skyrocketed unbelievably, so while Louis is still asleep he gets closer to the Omega and breathes in his scent like a starved man. 

Louis stirs in his slumber and makes a cute tired sound. Harry pulls Louis into his side because he was having no regrets this time, and the smaller male has a hand on his chest. A small hand is holding Harry's fingers again and a head of feathery hair is against his bicep. Harry is asleep when Marcel comes upstairs again, shakes his head and climbs into Harry's previous edge spot. 

When the first lark sings on Louis' camp grounds, he wakes up by himself. It's a shocking sight to settle the thought that he's in bed - after having done nothing remotely sexual - with two very desirable Alphas. It's partially terrifying because he remembers what happened the night before, the injury on his leg, and his heart starts to beat faster. The other fact that he's chest-to-chest with the wolf who disfigured his limb, holding his hand. 

"I could hear your heart if you were outside." That very same Alpha speaks slowly, unlidding his eyes. 

Now that he's close enough, Louis can see that one is black and the other is emerald green. "I-I....I'm-"

"Leaving?" Harry tries not to sound bitter when he says it. "My brothers sleep like the dead, you won't wake them."

"I'm sorry I woke you."

Harry stays completely still here to watch Louis sleep. He doesn't say anything at all, and unwillingly let's Louis get up. The Omega sways just slightly because his leg is still in a poor state, crushing Harry's heart with guilt. 

Louis' gone in the next three minutes and Harry goes to the window to see where he is. There's a small silhouette walking away from the cabin across the dirt floor and Harry relaxes when he's safely within the hostel confines. Marcel is taking half the bed by the time he returns and Harry nearly breaks his arm when he claims his half. 

"Bastard." Marcel mumbles sleepily, punching Harry's arm weakly. 

"Love you too." Harry whispers back, eyes still on the window. 

This shocks Marcel into opening his eyes and looking at his brother with that fond look he gets. Emotions are scarce in Harry's respect, so Marcel takes advantage when they are there. There's usually a trigger, and this time the youngest triplet doesn't have to ask his brother what other than an Omega as bright as the sun caused such behaviour. 

He puts his head on Harry's back and falls asleep again, later to be awoken by an enthusiastic Edward rushing in to inform them that the first challenge information has arrived. 

_Challenge One:_   
_Thou must locate what we has't taken from thee. Tis near and lief, tis yours to protect. If 't be true thee succeed, t'will reward thee. If 't be true thee fail, thee fail it._

"How non-cryptic of them." Edward groans. 

"We have to be at the arena in an hour." Marcel is yawning, face still buried in Harry's shirt. "Harry's doing it."

"You have the strongest nose."

Harry chews his lip for a second of thought. "Fine."

"Thanks, bro." Edward pushes Harry's arm away and Marcel's everything aside. "Move over."

Harry loves his brothers and he hates them in the same breath. Fake hate, he guesses. He'd never hurt, or let anyone hurt his siblings. 

"Where's my Omega?" Edward pouts against his pillow. He misses the light brown hair and blue eyes too. 

Harry growls at him. "He's not yours."

"He's not anyone's." Marcel intervenes, sensing another feud building. "He's independent until we can claim him."

Harry hates independence now. Who needs that? He needs Louis, just Louis. He gets up and goes to the bathroom while the other two fall asleep again.

  
* * * * *  


There was always an audience to watch the actual challenge for the Games, and there won't be one now. The arena Harry arrives at an hour later is vacant on the outside and bustling about within. Everyone sat outside in circular stands that seemed to row up into the clouds, millions of eyes and different genders staring at the contending Alphas' backs. 

There were 16 houses participating and one would be eliminated today, by death. 

A woman in all black approached with what looked like an earpiece. She had full pink lips and pencilled eyebrows. When she got to be right in front of him, she opened the case and took out a contact lens. 

"Put it in your eye." She ordered. "When you find what you're here for, it will blind you and you must rely on that person to guide you back."

Harry's horrified - internally - by this. "Nobody told me about fucking blindness."

"It's temporary." She quips. "Once you're back here we will take it out. This challenge has two parts and trust me, finding your loved one isn't the hard part."

This was very cryptic indeed but Harry didn't ask any further questions about it. He nodded and inserted the contact lens that immediately tightened around his eye and made it water slightly. 

"Alright. You will have no guide and it will be dark, no problem for you. Use your other form to move faster. The arena is different for each Alpha though it is the same space, you may even cross them." She tells him this last thing before walking away. 

There's merely a door to walk through, a solid anti-corrosive steel door that has '1' engraved onto it. He hears the crackling of bones and deafening cheers from the background as others switch forms in preparation. He waits until the very last minute, when the countdown visible only in his right eye hits three seconds. There's an even louder roar from the spectators and Harry knows his brothers are here, of course they are. He wonders where Louis is.

  
* * * * *  


Harry's arena is one thing if anything at all: dark. The atmosphere is dark, every snap of a twig is haunted, the winnowing of leaves is scary, there's no light from a bulb or Mother Nature. He's left with smell, and thankfully his Alpha nose has never failed him. His eyes glow in the night to even catch glimpses of what's surrounding him, but the one with the contact itches too much to be of help. 

He's in his wolf form which makes things easier, as he stalks forward and to find something familiar. He passes trees of all kinds, soil of all measures of dampness, but the striking familiarity is not hitting him yet. 

It takes ten minutes for him to catch it on a passing trail and he tenses from muzzle to tail. He turns left and picks up his speed, racing through the woods to find the source of this. It's driving him mad because the scent isn't getting stronger, isn't telling him where it is coming from. 

He knows who it is though. Apples and warm spice with a dash of ravishing innocence. Oh yes, he knows exactly who this is. 

His paws crush broken branches further and some rough edges beat the smooth ones with scraping his furless back leg. Harry hates that leg because it looks like someone got the chance to chew it off him, leaving the tissue open but improperly healed. It was his first dual as a wolf and everyone forgave him. 

He pushes on until another wolf howls nearby and he pauses to listen, though he is not bound by species loyalty to respond. They sound injured but he couldn't help anyway. He moves on, kicking dirt and tiny animals to get to his target. 

Upon reaching the point he vied for, he raised his head and released a threatening growl from the rumbling vibrations in his chest. The sweet scent wasn't alone and this other one smelt less kind. 

Along with the weak breeze, comes a fragile voice. "To wanteth a heart is to wanteth to earn 't. I has't hath lived for years beyond yours, yet I standeth hither willing to present thee with 't. Taketh that life and this embodiment is yours to love." 

The person was wearing a brown cape and has the features of a frail elderly. Papery skin, freckled arms and wrinkled neck. Harry's wolf stands tall with his head risen and shoulders squared, fangs on either side bared as his jaw trembled in a growl. He wasted no time in lunging forward and snapping at them.   
He tasted the rustiness of blood and the snap of shredding cardboard likened to his unrebellious skin. Like fireworks on New Years, the taste explodes in his mouth and Harry is left to drag the corpse to the ground while he bleeds out. Because of this, he hasn't gotten the chance to look at what stood behind the cloaked individual. 

Harry's eyes flicker upward and land on a set of light blue marbles, made navy by the darkness and sparkle from what little light does thrive. Louis is in wolf form - probably because every shapeshifter felt safer like that with fangs and claws - and stares back at Harry. There's a mixture of inbred submission, naïve terror and brave trepidation welling in those fascinating eyes like singular stars. 

This challenge wasn't hard, Harry figures, and now he understands what was so dear to them that it had to be taken away. It's been a simple twenty-four hours and Louis is attached to them by dignity and passion. Harry has never felt happiness truly, but if this is it then he wants it to always have something to do with Louis. 

Louis is frozen when Harry steps over the leaking carcass and towers over him, whining in a low voice to tell Harry without words that he was scared. Scared without him, Harry manipulates from that. 

He hasn't done much for comforting but he gently nudges Louis' neck with his muzzle and steps closer. Louis lifts his head and uses Harry's larger frame to press against, his cheek brushing Harry's in a sweet gesture of gratitude. Harry feels it as too much and too little, especially when blood smears from his chest get onto Louis' clean coat. 

He puts his head over Louis' shoulder to comfort him, and his vision goes black. 

This time it's his turn to be agitated but Louis quickly changes forms to use his voice, his human words. 

"H-Harry?" 

Louis knows the Alpha can't see right now and as a wolf that is crippling. He puts a small hand on Harry's furry cheek and scratches the skin underneath with blunt nails. 

"Harry, it's okay." The nervous Omega puts a hand between Harry's eyes and brushes the thick fur there.

Nobody's been this close to Harry while they were human and he was in his wolf form. It made him anxious because he didn't want to hurt this petite Omega that made his heart gallop and mind race. He already made that mistake and it's costing him immediate courtship with the Omega. 

"You can listen to me, yeah?" Louis is still doing that gentle rubbing thing on the Alpha beast's cheek.

The caress was hypnotising even to someone so immune to emotional attachment. Harry easily fell into this pit full of dreams where Louis belonged to his name. 

"This place is an entire illusion, Alpha." Louis is still talking and Harry wants to lap at every word. "They used your best environment to your disadvantage. It's mean, I know."

Harry agrees, but there's no time for that because Louis is pulling away but _why would he do that?_ The Alpha wants to growl and demand that Louis comes back to him, but there's no pride in whining and begging. 

"You let go of my hand yesterday." Louis whispers. "So you don't get to touch me now."

This time Harry does growl and bare his teeth. Where was this courage and sass coming from in this tiny Omega? Harry wants more of it, he wants _all_ of it. 

"Just use your nose and mouth." Louis advises, scratching behind the rumbling wolf's black ear. "You know what I smell like, and what I taste like."

Not in the way Harry desires in the deep grey pool stored in his abdomen and chest. Of course not. He wants to have this Omega's taste from between his legs and scent from during his heat. He wants this doey-eyed Omega impaled on his Alpha knot and carrying Styles pups. Yes, maybe that will be enough for him.

  
* * * * *  


When they exit the arena, Louis is taken away by his Madam before Harry can be un-blinded and thank him. It aggravates the Alpha extensively because the Omega is fucking his. 

"Are you okay?" His Madam doesn't yell at him when they're inside his hostel. "You should never have been there."

"Why not, Ma'am?" He frowns at her shaking head. 

"Do you know why you were there, Louis?" She stops to put her fisted hands on her muffin-top hips. 

"F-For Alpha Styles."

"Do you know what Alpha Styles is?"

"I know that he's a werewolf."

"Then you know enough. You cannot be so naïve, child. Guard your chastity."

"Ma'am, I don't understand."

"Werewolves strictly do not mate with bastard mongrels."

Oh. "Oh."

There was the heart smashing truth existing since birth for Louis, that his mother had him out of rape and he has no definable breed. His mother was a wolf and the rapist an Alpha outlaw.   
Werewolves are a rare breed, and they only mate with thoroughbreds to reserve their lineage. Louis feels angry at himself, he should have known. 

"Save yourself for someone like you." She goes on obnoxiously. "They will use you as their partner for these Games, but won't mate with you."

"D-Do I tell them no?"

"They're Alphas. You can't say no to them." 

She went to her desk - they were in her personal office two doors down from the Dean, her mate - and got out a vile of pills with a black leather case. With both items, she came to stand in front of Louis again. 

"Take this everyday." She gave him the pills. "You're old enough to need suppressants."

Louis' thrown into a whirl of reality when she tells him this. He can bear children now, but true to recent facts, not pure-bred Alpha's children. He knows he'd love his pups regardless of their gender and breed. 

"Wear this tonight when we celebrate the first challenge." She lifts the case's lid and reveals a sparkling silver chain. "It's for the crown of your head."

"Why must I?"

She smiles sweetly back at him. "The Omegas will wear them tonight if they are unmated."

Immediately, Louis plans to skip the event all together. He wasn't going to let a strange older Alpha touch him when he was unwilling and so young. But he nods and leaves when dismissed like the obedient student he was prepped to be.

  
* * * * *  


"You stink, Louis." Niall, who usually flops down on Louis' bed and clings to him, cringes and rolls away. 

"What?" His voice lowers several octaves due to his insecurity. 

"Don't be so blunt, idiot." Alyx scolds the blond Omega. "But Lou, you smell like wet dog."

Louis curls up against his wall and his knees to his chest. He knows he's been a little off these past few hours, he can smell the stench himself which is surely saying something for a weak Omega's nose. 

"Did you eat something?" Niall asks. 

"No." Alyx answers, sitting on her bed with crossed legs. "Are you close to your heat?"

"Y-Yes." Louis mumbles. He's never had these symptoms before a heat earlier in his life. 

"It's probably just this room." Niall claps his hands together. 

"Wear this-" Alyx tosses a bottle of fragranced lotion and another one of perfume at him. "-and that. Go get dressed."

Louis didn't get ready in fancy clothing like for the first masquerade ball. He chose black jeggings and a gangly white sweater he'd picked up from Niall's closet. They went well and according to Alyx, with the chain sitting neatly on his head and a pendant just above the space between his eyebrows, he looked exotic.   
Niall reassured him that the smell was completely masked and Louis could have a good time tonight without fear of humiliation. 

He was dead wrong. 

As soon as Louis entered the grand hall all eyes were on them, straining to see him. It made him fidget and hold Niall's arm with a death grip. All these Alphas, looking at him in their couture clothing and boastful laughter. They intimidated him so much. 

One even _sneezes_ and that scares Louis, makes what minute courage he has this evening disintegrate, and gasp before running off back down the path he came from. He gets to the back courtyard yet still feels like there's eyes on him, ridiculing him because he's an Omega mongrel who smells bad. 

"Louis?" 

There's a voice to his left from behind him and he turns away from the gigantic water fountain to see who it is. Sniffling and wiping the wetness from the rim of his eye, he fakes a smile for who he strongly believes is Edward. Marcel's hair is curlier and Harry's voice is much deeper. 

"What's wrong, little dove?" Edward steps forward, making the endearment louder. 

Louis' heart races in his ribcage because nobody's called him something so sweet before. "N-Nothing."

"I hate to watch you cry." 

Edward assures Louis' unsure inner Omega, stepping so close that he has to get the bad stench. If he does, he doesn't react because Edward supports the sides of Louis' face and kisses his forehead then the tip of his nose. 

"This makes me feel like a villain." The Alpha whispers, warm breath fanning Louis' lips. Suddenly Edward is stiff and scowling. "Why are you wearing this?"

He was referring to the silver chain on Louis' head, because with deft motions Edward removes an crushes the item of jewellery in his fist. Louis' shocked by this violence, he loved that beautiful chain, and takes the shattered remains before they're thrown away. 

"Alpha!" Louis cries in desperation and heartbreaking despair. 

"Little dove-" Edward secures Louis' face in his hands again. "They told us that the Omegas wearing gold chains were Mate-worthy, that we must dance with them. Those wearing the white chain are prospects and cannot be touched because they are still learning. Those wearing silver are whores."

This new information cracks something deep in Louis' heart and he feels the sting when more tears flood his eyes. He chews his lip so he doesn't cry but Edward tugs on it with the pad of his thumb. 

"Don't hurt yourself." Edward hugs him. Ignores the smell, and hugs the tiny Omega. It feels so warm and delightful to have two dainty palms on his shoulder blades and a person tucked into his arms. 

Louis shivers from the cold and he tries to hide from it against Edward's body. He feels so betrayed by the teachers and friends he supposedly had. They label him as a whore? Just because he's not a thoroughbred? He's purer than most Omegas at this school. 

"My beautiful, don't upset yourself over them." Edward speaks into Louis' ear. "Your heart should be occupied by other things."

"Don't I repulse you?" Louis peers up with shiny blue eyes. 

"Repulse? Of course not. You're the most intriguing creature I've ever met."

Louis preens under these compliments and because an Alpha he wants the approval of likes him, he smiles and cuddles closer to Edward's chest. 

"Good boy." He gets another kiss on the forehead. "Lou?"

"Alpha?"

"We want you, Lou."

"What?"

"My brothers and I. We find you to be the warmest, kindest and most beautiful Omega we've met. Marcel wanted me to give you this." Edward extracts a single sunflower with its from his back pocket. 

Louis' stunned. "It's really pretty."

"He told me why he chose it but I wasn't listening." Edward chuckled nervously. "Lou, even Harry wants you to accept us. He may desire you more than any man on this planet, in fact."

"Why aren't they here too?" Louis had something to tell them, and he needed all three present. 

"They-"

"We are." 

It's Marcel who interrupts and steps out of the shadow given by a porcelain pillar. He's followed by Harry, whose mismatched eyes shine brighter than ever before. His hands are behind his back and his shoulders are stiffly squared. 

"I chose the sunflower-" Marcel narrows his glare at Edward while he steps up next to him, and Louis regains his personal space. "-because rose's are fragile. You're bright like a sunflower just as you are strong. I hardly know you for a decent amount of time, but I'd never choose a sunflower for anyone else."

Louis' blushing madly by the end of Marcel's speech and he wants to leap into his arms to run away from all this destruction so badly. 

"Can I tell you....-" Louis bites his bottom lip and feels Harry's inquisitive stare on him. "-why we can't mate?"

There's the fall of all three Alphas' expressions to consider but Louis can't lie and hurt them. They're so nice and their house does not deserve a defective creature. 

"I'm not thoroughbred." He says in a whoosh of air. "I'm not raised proper like the other Omegas here and I was born out of wedlock. I can't mate with you, it doesn't matter how much I want to."

"Lou, that's bullshit." Marcel curses, surprising Edward but not Harry. 

"Who told you this?" Harry doesn't have to raise his voice to be heard. 

"It's the way it is." Louis shuffles from foot to foot, fidgety with nerves. 

"Our pack does not discriminate." Edward adds. "We just want our members to be happy."

"Now this is our fucking turn to be happy." Harry cuts across, taking a large stride forward and into Louis' space. "We don't want you for your breed, or name. We didn't come here with the intention of courting but after meeting you just yesterday, there's little else on our minds."

Louis' overwhelmed and feeling unreasonably glorified. He doesn't understand why these God-like Alphas aren't seeing him for who and what he is. 

"Y-You don't r-real-ally want m-m-me." Louis stutters. Now that he's standing independently, he can feel the bite of the cold air. 

"Do you think we needed you to tell us about yourself for us to know?" Edward makes everyone look at him and his soft chocolate hair, magical deep green eyes. "We knew and we didn't care, little dove. There's one pure in every hundred Omegas, but there's nobody quite like you."

Louis looks both startled and anxious as he switches his gaze from one Alpha to the next. He's biting his lip and thinking hard about this. They want him? Him, as a single Omega, to live in their home and be their mate. Three Alphas - which Louis doesn't mind. Three, mind-bogglingly attractive, fiercely strong and sought after Alphas that are _werewolves_.

Harry's arm twitches and he glows increasingly mad, just by the pungent scent of testosterone they can tell so. 

"H?" Marcel blows out a loud breath. "Give it to him please."

Harry just glares at his brother. 

"You're hurting it." Edward steps behind the bigger Alpha and snatches whatever Harry was strangling away from him. "This is for you, Lou."

Louis had forgotten that he's part of this circle and not just a bystander watching an Olympus family getting along. He looks up curiously at Edward and awaits whatever the 'This' is."

It turns out to be the last thing Louis thought about, maybe it didn't even make the list. 

'This' is a male Beagle puppy that has grown so angry it tries to bite Edward's hand just to retaliate. The Alpha damn near snaps the poor puppy's jaw as a result. 

"That thing needs to know its place." Harry glowers at it as Edward hands it to Louis. 

"He's perfect." Louis cooes, scratching the calm dog's head. "Thank you, Harry."

Harry's mouth twitches and that's all Louis' getting as a response. Marcel's flower goes into Louis' back pocket so the puppy doesn't destroy it. The poor animal is still agitated by the previous poor treatment. 

"He's a shapeshifter." Marcel tells Louis about the dog. "Can become anything animate he wants to."

This is fascinating to know and Louis looks at Harry with new respect, a new hint of softness behind his gaze. He's completely forgiven Harry for his attack and Louis knows that's what the Alpha was working towards here. 

"That's amazing, Harry." He cradles the pup in his arm and steps closer. "Where did you find him?"

"It wasn't that hard." Harry brushes off Louis' enquiry. It was actually quite taxing to locate a woman deep within the woods behind this town who had just one shapeshifter left. 

Louis seems to pick up on this and smiles subtly. He can already detect their boastful lies and Harry doesn't know how to feel about that. When Louis presses a soft kiss to his jaw - the Omega can't make it any higher without Harry bending - he is further enthralled. 

"Do we have your consent?" Marcel asks politely when Louis withdraws. 

The Omega nods, chewing his lip but agreeing just as bravely. It makes Marcel beam and pick the boy up off the ground, emitting a giggle from him. Edward shakes his head, ecstatic himself but better at composure, and reaches for Louis' wrist. Once the Omega is released from Marcel's grip and the shapeshifter pup incidentally tumbles to the ground as a cocktail parrot.   
He twirls the smiling smaller, younger and astonishing boy so he collapses against his chest. Louis' palms are on his chest and his magnificently blue pearls for eyes are trained on him. 

"Hey there." Edward winks at him. 

Louis' grin turns shy with the traces of softness that existed all over the Omega's body and mind. 

The next thing he knows there's a sharp pair of fangs pressing past several layers of supple skin and Louis gasps from the pain. He whines and tries to push Edward away but his smaller fists are caught in cages of larger, longer fingers. When it's over, Louis feels no different to before except maybe tipped to other side of insecure. 

"What did you do?" Louis can't feel a mark on his throat. 

"You were taking suppressants." Harry answers for his brother from beside him. "Ones that gave you that scent and controlled your heat. Did you want that, Louis?"

Louis thinks back to where he got the suppressants, from the same person who gave him the silver head chain. He looks at Harry, maintaining the steady stare that holds too much intensity for him to be rather in Edward's arms. His cheek is pressed against a solid chest and he inclines his head just a bit to the side to convey his answer. 

"I think they're here!" Someone in the background, just a voice and no embodiment, calls out. 

Marcel looks at the way they came in while Edward rubbed Louis' back. He wouldn't say he's possessive already but he'd gladly kill people if they got too close to his little Omega. Harry has his neck craned towards the exit of the hall and he doesn't look very pleased with this interruption.   
Louis extends his arm and holds Harry's two fingers in his hand, instantly making the Alpha look at him. 

"This is them." A woman, slightly gruff, says as she gets closer to them. 

The hedges in random shapes no longer conceal her when she steps out into the light. It's Louis' Madam accompanied by a few other well-dressed male Betas. 

"Alphas." She doesn't regard Louis and speaks directly to them, over and above him. "Why are you out here?"

Louis tightens his hand around Harry's fingers and gets a gentle squeeze back. He hates his Madam and he whimpers when her gaze falls on him finally, signalling all the drama that will ensue once the Alpha triplets are away. 

"What is it?" Harry turns his body towards Louis, eyes stormy and _angry_ because he can sense the Omega's helplessness. "Did she hurt you?"

"Harry?" Marcel questions his brother's words. 

"Shut up." Harry snaps at him. "You're afraid of her, Louis. Tell me why."

Is Harry always mean to Marcel? Louis doesn't like it because Marcel is so fluffy and kind, who would hurt him?

"Louis." Harry growls like thunder before a frantic storm. 

"She-She gave me the ch-chain." He stammers and Edward's hand tugs on his hip. "A-And the pills."

Harry's jaw tightens as he clenches his teeth in fury. The black eye is always undetectable in its feelings but the green one is strongly wild and bold. 

"Harry, don't-" Edward is cut short when Harry disappears from the spot he was in, leaving Louis' hand to grip Edward's jacket. 

It is an Alpha's duty to protect their Omega, always reassure them and help them when in need. It's the Alpha's duty to remove obstacles and banish bad histories, so that's what Harry does. 

He has the woman pinned to the pillar he himself arose from minutes ago, his large hand around her throat and his nails digging into the stone so it cracks next to her ear. Her feet are off the ground and she doesn't get the chance to scream because powerful jaws are at her neck then blood is spurting against white tile and into her hair. Harry's hand is gone in perfect tandem with Louis' scream and the Betas' panic. 

The woman's lifeless body sags and her head is snapped at a disagreeing angle that shows the gaping hole in her neck where Harry tore through it. Her skin elsewhere is stained red and the fabric of her dress is dripping with the same colour. 

Edward didn't react and neither did Marcel because they've seen their brother get into and come out of uglier fights that left him without scratches in recent history. Louis is trembling however because he's witnessed something so horrific just now, something he's only ever seen on television. 

Harry wipes his mouth with the back of his hand, only just further smearing the blood onto his cheek and his wrist. His teeth is still slightly crimson and his eyes are individual hurricanes of vicious intent. 

"Give him to me." Harry squeezes Edward's shoulder so hard that the Alpha holding Louis flinches and growls back. 

"You scared him." Edward's nostrils are flared and his arms are tense around Louis' body. 

"That's _not_ what I asked of you." 

Harry indelicately removes Edward's arm from Louis' lower back and snakes his own bulkier arm around the Omega's hips. Louis has no choice but to go with the grip and falls into Harry's hold gracelessly. He looks up, afraid and shivering, into Harry's eyes.   
The Alpha dismisses the fear and cups the side of Louis' face, adding a fingerprint of blood to his flawless cheekbone. Louis sucks in a sharp breath and wraps his hand around Harry's wrist. 

The eyes looking back at him don't belong to the Alpha he saw when he woke up this morning. These were detached and emotionally unstable. For the first time Louis wonders why Harry's one eye is not matching the other. 

Who has he said yes to?


	3. III

**_[A/N: Smuttttttt. It pops up out of nowhere and this is my first time writing foursome-ish smut so don't go all strict parent on me o.O - S xx]_ **

**Who did he say yes to?**

Harry has Louis wrapped around him by force of intimidation. He wasn't trying to petrify the poor Omega, but it came with the territory. Once he took Louis from Edward, just one nudge indicating that he wanted Louis' full attention had the blue-eyed beauty obeying. His short legs wrapped around Harry's waist and his arms fell into a lock around his neck. 

"Let's get back to our cabin." Marcel looks exasperatedly at the fleeing Betas, probably off to tell everybody of the Dean's mate's murder. 

"You're coming with." Harry feels his inner beast inexplicably settle by Louis hiding in his neck. 

The Omega wasn't repulsed by the blood on Harry and that trait elevated him in Harry's books. 

"Someone has to do damage control." Edward pulls at his hair and Louis wants to tell him to stop. "They're going to know who did it and....- The fucking _Dean_ , Harry!"

"The Dean has had three mates in the past three years. He'll be fine." Marcel waves off Edward's concern. "Do you think we'll be disqualified?"

Harry chuckles darkly with all his attention on Louis and making the scared Omega happy again. He really likes the feel of Louis' skin against his fingertips and lips. It's intoxicating and riveting down to his thinnest nerve or bone. 

"I don't think so." Edward answers Marcel. "The Games are tradition, whether the Dean is condoning it or not."

"Then let's just call it a night." 

"I agree." Harry clears his throat. "My sweet looks exhausted."

Just getting a pet name so fond from Harry to Louis makes Edward and Marcel want to forgive the ruthless Alpha. They never get words of encouragement or sweet endearments from the man and Louis just managed to do that. 

"Let's go. Wait here while I get the car." Marcel volunteers. 

He takes the longest route to the car park where the triplets left their SUV amongst other pricey vehicles. He sighs, thinking about how entertaining his life of twenty plus years has been, and how much worse it's about to get. His drive back to the courtyard is filled with Lana Del Ray and the faint patter of rain starting outside. 

His phone buzzes in his pocket and he's quick to answer the device. "Edward?"

"Yeah." The older sibling breathes relief. "I'm gone into speak with the Dean so wait for me outside the main entrance after you get Harry and Lou, okay?"

"Alright. Good luck."

"Well, if they don't listen I'll just make Harry kill them all."

Marcel actually laughs at the dark and otherwise inappropriate joke. "Well there's that."

"You know I love our brother."

"But you can't help but want to tie him up sometimes."

"How very notoriously kinky of you, Marcy."

Marcel blushes although nobody sees him and awkwardly clears his throat. "Shut up and go do your job."

"Love you, Marcy."

"Yeah, yeah."

"I'll suck your dick if you say it back."

"You wish."

"You're right. I'll suck it anyway."

"I'm telling Harry."

"He'll be too occupied with getting between our darling Omega's legs to notice or care."

"Lou's not going to let him."

"That hasn't stopped him before."

"What if he gets hurt?"

"Something tells me Harry would rather cut off a limb and eat it than hurt Louis."

"Yeah." Marcel agrees. "He needs to tone down the testosterone though."

"We will have this discussion later. Wait for me outside the front entrance."

"Yeah, okay. Hurry up."

"I'll try."

Marcel hangs up after Edward and parks off on the nearest curb before jumping off. 

Meanwhile Harry has come off his macho high and is sitting on the fountain's base with Louis fidgeting on his lap. He tries not to be that forward but when Louis almost falls over, he cups his perfect behind to keep that from happening. 

"Are you afraid of me now?" Harry takes off his jacket to cover the Omega with and he takes his time with tracing the contours of his neck. 

"You killed her." Louis tucked his arms under the jacket that completely covered his body from head to toe. 

"She had no purpose and she had offended you." Harry defends. "But that's not what I asked."

Louis takes the sleeve of his sweater and wipes the little blood smear on Harry's cheek. "I'm not scared."

"Good because we're your Alphas now." Harry buttons the coat all the way down to wear it draped over Louis' tempting thighs. "We have to protect you."

"Don't kill people for me."

Harry raises his eyebrow. "Is that a request, my sweet?"

"Yes please."

"Then I'm afraid I must deny you that one thing." The Alpha draws out his exhale and lures Louis in closer to his body warmth. "I have decided something."

"What?" Louis has finishes cleaning the blood and he puts both his cold hands on Harry's warm neck. 

"I want you to be the mother of our pups." 

"M-Me?" 

"Yes you, my sweet. My brothers and I chose you and you aren't contaminated with the touch of another Alpha from before us. We will bond during your next heat."

Omegas lived for Alphas' approval and when they chose to settle down. Louis was both scared and reassured by Harry's obvious enthusiasm and he felt a pit of warmth develop with the idea of carrying pups from such perfect Alphas. 

"Do you object?"

"No." Louis smiles and leans a little forward. 

"When is your next heat then?"

"In a few days."

"Marcel's here." Harry looks up and two seconds later the youngest Style triplet makes it past the monster hedges. 

"Ready to go?" The newest arrival asks them with non-judgment in his gaze. 

Louis starts to get up and Harry waits for him before standing himself. He puts Louis before himself and his hands settle on the Omega's hips to control the pace of his walking.   
He may have to share Louis - which he has no problem with - but he's going to steal as much private time with the precious Omega as he can. 

"Edward said to wait for him." Marcel says by means of explanation when Harry glares at him through the rear view mirror. "He won't be long."

"Fine." Harry huffs impatiently and wishes he was driving so he could have Louis next to him. The Omega always got the front passenger seat by their family custom. 

"Do you like this song?" Marcel asks Louis quietly when he notices the Omega drumming his fingers to the beat of Alesso. 

Harry observes this healthy conversation, proud of his youngest sibling for actually speaking up first without prompting. Neither of them are as charming as Edward, but Marcel always got the short end of the stick when it came to his confidence. 

"It's a sweet song." Louis replies, twinkle in his eye from the lamp post. 

"Really?" 

"I think so." The Omega shrugs. 

"He fantasizes about his teacher."

Louis giggles. "But all he wants is to dance with her."

"Hmm." Marcel let's go of the steering wheel to turn in his seat. "Do you like bands?"

"I haven't listened to any recent tracks of The Script or The Fray because of classes but I love them. What about you?"

"I'm more of a Green Day, Metallica kind of guy."

"Really?" Louis' eyes widen. 

"No." The Alpha laughs loudly. "I don't fancy groups as much as I like individual artists."

"Like Adele?"

"Like Lana Del Rey."

"Good choice." Louis' cheeks redden. 

"And Nicki Minaj."

Now it's Louis' turn to laugh, concealing it behind his hand and his eyes crinkle at the corners because he's so carefree. "What obscenities."

"Edward used to like Young Thug."

Louis has to bite his lip to keep his amusement hidden. "Why would he even consider them?"

"His rebellious phase was more unorthodox. He liked Young Thug but he read Sir Conan Doyle everyday."

"That is unorthodox."

"What do you read?"

"I own every Disney classic in children's book and DVD form."

"That's incredible." Marcel almost loses his jaw to the way it gapes. "You're amazing."

"Not really. I was told to stop reading them."

"Whoever said that is an abomination."

Louis tries not to recall how it was Alyx who advised him so. "I do read other books but the simplest ones are the best."

"I agree wholeheartedly."

Edward is jogging down the front steps by the time their conversation ends and Harry taps the opposite window to alert his brother of where he's supposed to sit. Edward slides in and Marcel ignites the engine again. 

"How'd it go?" Marcel pulls onto the narrow street that led to the cabins lot for visiting Alphas. 

"The Dean mourned for about six minutes before deciding to speak to Father about this."

"Is he really?" Harry groans. 

"Father has no control over us. He isn't pack leader." Marcel contributes. 

"That's why he wants to talk to Harry tomorrow."

"How does he even have a pack?" People had to belong to a pack led by a righteous Alpha in order to start a feud against another house. 

"Don't know but expect a call from Daddy Dearest soon enough." Edward exhales. 

The rest of the drive is silent and Louis spends it thinking over all that has ever caught his interest in his life. After his first venture into the Snow Cabin, he's wanted romance and now he's part of the most unconventional bond ever. 

Good ol' romance and love has long since died. Nobody bought roses and nobody kissed in the rain.

  
* * * * *  


Louis screams, sweating through every pore and tensing in every muscle. He grips the sheets underneath him and bares his neck when Harry asks for it. His body rocks back and forth with Harry's hips slamming against his pelvis _hard_ enough for every thrust to burn. He pants desperately and claws at Harry's back, overwhelmed by everything. 

Harry hauls him upward onto his lap, secure arms around his waist and lips claiming his possessively. A second pair of equally large hands grab Louis' hips, temporarily staking claim and sliding in under him. Louis opens his eyes, staring into Harry's lost orbs and crying out when he's raised a little so the remarkable size of Harry's member tugs at his insides stubbornly. 

"Careful, Edward." Harry growls, petting Louis' sides. 

He's taken the time to open Louis up and get his mouth between the Omega's thighs for several rounds of the most delectable taste he's ever experienced. Total exuberation is what Harry describes sex with Louis as, and he doubts his libido will ever fade now. 

Edward kisses Louis' neck and distracts him with creating love bites all over his throat. The distraction gets Louis hovering then sinking down again on two Alpha lengths. He can hardly stand the stretch and scratches Harry's neck, tugging on Edward's hair harshly.   
His back is arched, sandwiched between the two Alphas and feeling very frail next to either. They're both rough and strong, struggling to be gentle. Louis wants Marcel here to calm his nerves. 

Louis believes he's done well for his first time having sex. He's heard that tasking two knots can be the best feeling in the world, especially for your first time. He throws his head back onto Edward's shoulder when they both thrust upward into his tight heat clenching around them so perfectly. 

"Feel good, sweetheart?" Edward attaches their mouths and sneaks his hand between Louis' quivering thighs to gather the slick dripping out of him. 

He can feel how stretched Louis is and it's the hottest thing he's ever been a part of. Edward moans into Louis' mouth and bucks up greedily, hitting Louis' prostrate before Harry can. 

"Bastard." Harry growls irritably, lifting a blissed out Louis to get him off Edward's c*ck and rolling over so Louis is all his. 

"Alpha?" Louis whines and grips Harry's shoulders. He wants attention too. 

"Here, my sweet." 

Harry folds Louis' legs up to his chest and starts to pivot his hips with prowess. He sinks his teeth harmlessly into Louis' neck and fucks the words out of this submissive.   
When Edward tries to get back in, Harry growls and pushes him away. Edward had his chance and now Louis was Harry's to please, just his. Marcel was too nervous to join them tonight and opted to wait downstairs. Louis felt very insecure at the news because he felt Marcel just didn't want him in his bed. 

Louis' orgasm pulses out of him and Harry starts to fuck irregularly, slipping in his rhythm. The Omega felt the base of Harry's length fattening to release his knot and he needed Edward here too. He pushes Harry up back onto his calves and Edward immediately pounces, resuming his previous position behind Louis. 

"What a perfect Omega you are, little dove." Edward whispers in his ear, steeling his arm around Louis' waist and rushing his orgasm on by thrusting quick and deep. 

Louis' rim begins to ache from the stretch and he mewls with a death grip on both Alphas, coming again because of the repetitive pressure on his prostrate. Harry holds him in place as his knot inflates then Edward's. 

It's the best feeling ever, blacking out Louis' vision as the come starts to fill him. He exhales loudly and loosens his fingers on skin and hair, coming down from his cloud nine. 

"Okay, sweet?" Harry kisses his swollen lips, being careful not to shift his hips. 

Louis can only nod and focus on the _extremely full_ feeling in his nether regions. It's like being complete, and at the same time on fire. It burns because he's never taken a knot before and his first time includes two werewolf knots from Alphas as massive as Edward and Harry. 

"It takes about an hour, dove." Edward rubs the hairless skin of Louis' thighs, kissing away the reservations with gentle kisses to his throat. 

The knotting has exhausted Louis and he just wants to sleep right now, with his Alphas' knots buried inside him. So he yawns and leans back against Edward's chest, closing his eyes to rest them.   
His breathing evens out and he whimpers whenever a fresh wave of semen fought to get deeper inside him. He wouldn't fall pregnant until he's had all three triplets' knots because they were bonded together as one. 

Somewhere between the tumble through the front door and hauling Louis upstairs, it was discussed that he wouldn't be allowed to get pregnant until they're mated and bonded together for life. It wouldn't be fair to the pups or Louis any other way. 

Edwards knot deflates first and he pulls out of a dead asleep Louis carefully, letting Harry hold him in a spooning position while they were still connected. He goes to get Marcel after cleaning the Omega's thighs and chest. They could all fit now because the consent of Louis was given. 

"Is he asleep?" Marcel is just wearing boxers when he enters the bedroom behind a stark naked Edward. 

"Out like a light." Edward takes the edge of the bed, turned towards the window. 

Marcel crawls up the length of the bed and faces Louis on his side, bravely kissing the Omega's forehead and getting an unconscious shuffle in his direction in response. Harry's chest rumbles from envy and his protective arm tightens around Louis' middle, pulling him back. 

"I know you don't want to but-" Marcel looks at his powerful brother. "-you have to give us chances with him too."

As pack leader, Harry gets rights to everything first. As brother to Edward and Marcel, he tries to put that pride aside. His brothers meant more than family to him before Louis ever came along, before the Omega was even born.   
Feeling softer because it's his baby brother asking, Harry loosens his arm and let's Louis slip off his soft knot to cuddle Marcel. Marcel's softer and warmer - fluffier in Louis' terms - so of course he likes to cuddle with him when in slumber. 

The next morning meant Louis being disabled from the groin down because of the unrelenting soreness coming from his behind. It's only natural that he would have said aches considering the night he lost his virginity was also the night his body accepted two Alpha knots. 

He woke up on a soft chest with warm bands of steel arms around him, Marcel is holding him close as he pretends to sleep. They were all awake a minute ago, taking turns to whisper about how angelic Louis looked as he slept, and giving Marcel grief for not participating last night. 

Harry looks at Louis and how engulfed he is by the thick insulating comforter, his inner Alpha barking at him to make a move and touch him. 

"Hi." Louis knows Harry can stare at him for however long without uttering a word so he takes the initiative to speak first. 

"Hey." The Alpha sits up, propped by his elbow, and gazes at Louis' sleepy form. "Are you hurt?"

"Not hurt." Louis mumbles into a yawn. "Just sore."

Harry's smirk dimples his cheek and leaves Louis paralysed when he leans in to kiss him. "I can imagine. You were very brave last night, I am proud of you."

To show gratitude for the compliments, Louis nuzzles Harry's neck and whines when the Alpha chuckles into his ear. He laces his fingers through the silky locks of dark brown hair and sits up. 

"Come here, my sweet." Harry lures the Omega into straddling his lap, aware that his brothers are awake enough to know what's happening. 

"I'm here." Louis sniffs and nearly falls forward when his feet get caught in the sheets. The Alpha cabins got such soft linen when the hostels slept with paper thin covers every night. 

"You really are beautiful." Large paws are grazing and teasing such soft, memorable skin everywhere. "Do you suppose we would have met without this Games existing?"

Louis thought about it and bit his lip as he did, squirming in Harry's lap when the pressure got too great. "No."

"No?"

The Omega shrugs half-wittingly. 

"Come on, my sweet. I know you have a better answer up in that captivating mind of yours."

"I sincerely believe that once a story is written, not even the author can change it."

"Really? What convinces you so?"

Louis' lip is caught between his teeth as he fights to swallow a groan in his throat. 

"What's wrong?" Harry's smirking, flashes of his teeth visible and even a dimple on his pale cheek. 

Blushing, Louis can't contain his gasp of surprise when long and apt fingers slide deftly between his thighs to investigate what's so sensitive about him. Harry gets to the part of Louis' body that completely annihilated his higher brain power yesterday - what he's lusted after for far too long although it was just a few hours, a few painful hours of feeling nothing but indescribable _want_.   
The uncontrollable Alpha stocking more testosterone than restraint, ignores Louis' digging nails on his muscular shoulder and jabs at the red, swollen rim gently until it's penetrated. 

"My poor sweet." Harry slips another finger in next to the first, slowly thrusting them along the very wet walls of the quivering Omega. "You probably didn't get any sleep last night, huh? Trying to keep our seed inside you."

Louis' face is hidden in Harry's neck, huffing out breaths as the greedy fingers nudge his swollen sweet spot. He chokes on air when Harry keeps his hand pressed against the clenching wet ring of muscle, making him round his hips for friction. 

"I'd love to take care of you, sweet, but because of yesterday's insignificant little incident I have to meet with the Dean. Edward too."

The Omega doesn't mind Marcel's company for the entire day. He does not have classes as most were called off for the Terra Alpha Games. It took precedence, by custom, over everything. 

"Get some sleep." Harry gently nudges Louis onto his back but the action itself carries tales of his physical harshness when the weaker male falls to the sheets. "We will see each other again later."

Louis' pressured to suppress his neediness and do what he's asked by his Alpha. He turns to his side after Harry slips off the bed and rests his cheek on Marcel's chest while Edward fully awakens from his spying state of drowsiness. 

"Get up." Harry stands by Edward's bedside. "We're busy today, you know that."

"Yeah, I know."

"What time does the Dean want us?"

"He doesn't really want us at all." Edward grumbles irritably, envious beyond words of Marcel's excuse to stay in bed with their delightful and bubbly Omega. 

"That's not what I asked."

"Ten. He wants us at ten."

"We have an hour." Harry pulls his brother's hair lightly, more strength than with Louis because Edward's Alpha. "Move."

"You're a monster." Edward follows Harry into the bathroom and shoves the older Alpha's shoulder in a jovial pursuit.

"And you're my brother. What does that make you?"

Harry, chuckling quietly to himself, turns on the shower and steps in under the cold spray. It doesn't phase him but when Edward joins him there's an audible hiss. 

"Kin of a monster, I believe." Edward steals the soap before Harry can. They've shared baths then showers since they were in nappies yet they're still as immature even now, twenty-four years later. 

"You've always been corrupt." 

"A corrupt monster, how delightful."

"You could be a politician."

  
* * * * *  


Around ten that day Marcel wakes up for the second time in three hours. He admires Louis' sleeping form - Omegas can't sleep for very long so if they do they're beyond exhausted - and even dares to touch a few parts of him innocently. 

"You wouldn't touch me last night." Louis' sudden voice, soft and calming to the most spiked of nerves, filters the silent air. "Why do you care to touch me now?"

"You're brave in your words without my brothers around." Marcel smiles a dimpled grin, voice raspy from sleep and green eyes serving as emerald pearls. 

Louis giggles, half muffled by the pillow and the other half left to baffle Marcel's inner Alpha. He's always been drawn to innocence not because he wished to ruin it, but because he liked to claim it and keep it safe. 

"Your giggle is deafening."

Stopping immediately, Louis covers his mouth and looks frightened with shame. "I-I'm sorry."

"It wasn't an insult, little love." Marcel has to stop this beautiful Omega from rolling away, but how else can he besides crawling on top of him and caging him in. 

"It isn't?"

"No, no." The Alpha chuckles and bumps noses with Louis, before kissing his lips chastely. "Your giggle blocks out all other sounds and sends me to a place I haven't been in a while."

"Where is that?"

"Home." Marcel's smile saddens but it's only brief as he settles between Louis' warm milky thighs and squashing all space between them. "What's your biggest fantasy, little love?"

"Edward calls me that." Louis glares like a kitten at the Alpha above him. "You have to pick a new name for me."

"So Edward calls you little dove, Harry calls you sweet then what am I to call you?"

"Anything you want." Louis puts his small hands on the Alpha's sides and feels himself loosen at the corners to welcome him. 

"Anything?" 

Marcel slides into Louis' wet heat and the Omega claws at his waist, gasping at how well matched the Alpha is in size to his brothers. 

"You're a little loose, pumpkin." Marcel bottoms out so his sack rests against Louis' pelvis, pressed so deep inside him that the outline of his length is visible through Louis' skin. 

There's an instant suction and Marcel groans into Louis' neck as the tightness closes around him. He thinks he's in love with an Omega he met yesterday. He takes Louis' hands and pins them above his head, letting the sheets fall and their bare hot skin be revealed to the morning atmosphere. 

"My brothers probably fucked you thoughtless yesterday." Marcel sinks his teeth into the bruise Edward left on Louis. "We can go slow now. We can _make love_."

Louis' never had slow - he's only had sex once - so he's eager to know what the difference is. He nods and mewls, squirming on the mattress to get Marcel to move. 

"You asked why I wanted to touch you." Marcel rolls his hips, slowly and carefully. "There's nobody more intoxicating than you, that's why."

There are quite little noises coming from Louis beneath him, a mixture of gasps, whines, mewls and whimpers. It's a wonderful production and Marcel eventually swallows each sound up greedily. Louis shrieks when a sudden thrust puts his prostrate on full abuse and he arches off the bed magnificently. Marcel props himself up on his forearms, setting a quick and hard rhythm that disables Louis' senses and turns him into a pile of pheromones. 

Louis didn't know Marcel could do this, be so rough yet still so giving. His legs fall to his sides, splayed open for Marcel to hold down. His pelvis is beaten red with Marcel's thrusts and his thighs are shaking uncontrollably. His own length lay weeping precome on his tummy and his lip is red from the biting that's Marcel's fault. 

His vision whites out in time for his orgasm and Louis craves Marcel's knot more than he needs air to breathe or blood to survive. He feels split open on his Alpha's c*ck and the Omega need for harder, faster, deeper is killing him. Marcel fucks his orgasm to a quick close then starts up another immediately. The base of his dick is swelling and it's starting to catch on Louis' rim, making the Omega scream and tears to roll down his cheeks. 

"You're doing so well, pumpkin." Marcel licks the shell of Louis' ear and tastes the sweetness that is Louis Tomlinson. 

Louis has no voice, his throat closed and lungs straining. He finally gets the expansion of a well endowed knot and sighs happily even if his own second orgasm wasn't accomplished. 

"Should I take care of this?" Marcel wraps his hand around Louis' length. "I could give you more pleasure. You've earned it, pumpkin."

Without word of consent Marcel pumps Louis' length and releases fresh wave after wave of come into Louis' body until his knot can barely contain the flow.

"My knot takes a bit longer to go down." Marcel tells Louis after the Omega's breathing gets back to normal. "I.....don't use it as often."

Louis is extremely flattered by this and kisses Marcel's cheek then lips, elongating the kiss with the tip of his little tongue teasing the roof of the Alpha's mouth. Marcel groans and playfully closes his teeth around the tongue - just enough strength to keep it captured but not hurt him - and Louis' laughter is a little strained. 

"I'll have more time with that tongue, believe me." Marcel bites Louis' bottom lip. "Sleep now, pumpkin."

Louis is situated to be the little spoon of the Alpha before they fall asleep again. Marcel's knot goes down at just after eleven and he feels reluctant to pull out, knowing fully well that he intends to get back in as soon as he can. He can't sleep so he slides off the bed and goes downstairs to fetch himself a can of Monster and pack of cigarettes. Today was a High-Fly Day, which meant his nerves were so low strung that he felt fuck all and just wanted to survive on these two things. 

The Monster gives him an instant buzz and he feels the extra tingle settle onto the surface of his skin. His Alpha body is high-power and uses almost every carb on contact but Monster has engineered their drinks recently to blend with Alphas alone, to keep them revived for twenty-four hours. 

"Lou?" Marcel crawls onto the bed, under the sheets hiding the pretty Omega from him. 

Louis stirs and exhales with a shudder when the covers are discarded, his body left bare in the sunlight. Between his legs Marcel settles, placing kisses along his damp thighs where slick dripped and come dried slightly. The sweat was rebuilding but all Marcel could smell, all he could _taste_ was sweet, blossoming serenity. 

Stiffening his tongue, Marcel delves into the intoxicating heat that belongs to their Omega. He can taste himself on the wet walls, groaning and throwing Louis' legs over his shoulders for a better angle. Louis jolts awake and tries sitting up, only to receive a growl from Marcel so he settles again with an eager whine.   
Now that Louis' awake, Marcel comes up to his level and kisses him with wet lips, cupping the side of Louis' face and keeping him stationary. He parts his lips and dominates Louis' mouth, breathing hard through his nose as he swallows the taste. 

"Fuck me." Louis whimpers, scratching at Marcel's chest for attention. 

"No bad words from you, pumpkin spice." Marcel slaps Louis' thigh and grips it tightly, forcing it to stick to his waist as he lit a cigarette from the bedside table. 

"Spice?" Louis holds the lighter for him steadily and snaps it closed once the end is red with life. 

"Sweet but more than a little sassy." The Alpha puffs out a cloud and sets the cigarette down to slowly enter Louis with his stiff red erection. 

Marcel's nose is pressed to Louis' neck as he starts to thrust again, hungry for the climax and end of his buzz. He groans into Louis' throat and sinks his teeth into the flesh just below his Adam's Apple, pivoting his hips desperately to set them off. He feels Louis' hard length between them and continues to pound into the submissive form, bending Louis' knees and pinning them apart. 

"I think I'm never letting you go." He bites harder, tearing the skin just a little and fucking brutally into Louis. 

Louis' arm tightens around Marcel's neck, rolling his hips back and pulling the Alpha closer to him. His lips form a perfect 'O' and his nails dig into Marcel's skin. 

"Nobody else gets to feel this." Marcel feels more like his brothers, surprising Louis when his timid nature is squashed aggressively. "Just us."

Louis comes again and Marcel's knot expands again inside him. His body sags and Marcel stays propped up, retaking his half finished cigarette and slipping it between his lips. 

"I wouldn't have taken you for a smoker." Louis' legs twitch when the connection between them shifts. 

"Nobody would." Marcel chuckles, removing the cigarette and smothering Louis with a harsh kiss that causes his lips to redden and swell. "I'm the innocent one."

"Do your brothers smoke?" 

Marcel shakes his head and drinks more of his canned energy drink. "They allow me this because compared to them my vices are less........disturbing."

"What are their vices?"

"You have enough time to learn them, pumpkin spice. I will tell you one thing, if anything."

"Hmm?"

"Harry isn't our brother." 

Marcel is kissing away the hurt left behind by every mark made on Louis' body during heated activities. Louis frowns at this cold, odd statement. 

"Well, we have a theory. He was stillborn because he got his chord wrapped around his neck and choked himself to death in our Mother's womb. He had two green eyes then. They had to cremate him of course, but the day it was going to happen Mother found him crying in the morgue. His left eye was black since that day. Nobody knows what happened, and he won't speak about it."


	4. IV

"You murder my mate in the most cruel way and expect me to let you have one of our youngest students?" The Dean of Louis' school was being a cantankerous asshole. 

"The violence of an Alpha is a measure of his protectiveness." Edward's surprised to see Harry so collected about this when he can just slit another throat and have what he wants. 

"It's a measure of his cruelty!"

"My brother is pack Alpha. Do you expect a gummy bear's personality from him?" Edward snaps in Harry's defence. 

"I _expect_ restraint."

"Harry did what he did to prove his worth! By every tradition dictated through time, Louis is ours now."

"He has no parents! He is yours when I, sole guardian, say he is."

"When will that be?" Harry interrupts. "You're a perverted old man with an enlargened knot. If your purpose for him is to neither take him nor shove him in a brothel then what do you want him for?"

"Do you reduce Omegas to such little worth?"

"I am merely stating your standards for Omegas. You have over two thousand orphaned Omegas here."

"Then it is my duty to find them safe, capable Alphas to mate."

"Are we not that?"

"No." The Dean slams his clenched fist on the solid table. "You are impulsive and incapable of remorse."

"I'm one third of our house. My brothers are more than humane."

The Dean scoffs. " _No,_ Master Styles. Louis will stay with us until he has completed his studies."

"Edward." Harry looks to his sibling. "Deal with this idiot please."

"Harry, we don't do that anymore." Is what Edward replies with when he catches on to Harry's underlying tone. 

"Do it, Edward."

Sighing, Edward turns back to the baffled old Alpha behind the desk. "If you don't comply, my brother will take Louis by force and our pack will go against yours."

"This is a _school_ -" 

"All the more reason you should want to keep your students safe then." The middle triplet crosses his arms. "A lot of our Alphas are unmated and looking for more than one mate."

Mating Omegas to werewolf Alphas is a celebratory accomplishment, but when those Omegas are studying minors and the Alphas are aggressive wolves who knew about bloodshed before anything else, it was a problem. If they were to come here, Omegas would be raped and hurt in other ways. Maybe even _killed_. 

"Fine." The Dean drawls. "Louis is now your Omega _but_......-"

"But?" Edward asks and Harry waits. 

"You can have no other Omega from this school or another. Louis is pure, one of two virgin Omegas in this institution unfortunately."

Edward's smirk is unchallenged and slanted as well as Harry's, creating a dangerously attractive mirror image between them. "Not anymore, we believe."

"Excuse me?"

"We knotted Louis already and by now-" Harry adds the dramatic effect of glancing at his watch. "-our youngest brother should have acquainted himself with the space between Louis' thighs as well."

  
* * * * *  


"Can I ask you something?" Louis is supporting the cigarette between Marcel's lips.

"You are free to ask, plead and demand with us. Our devotion to you-" Marcel ladens Louis' neck with warm kisses, branding some of the smoke and imprints of his teeth into the delicate skin. "-is absolute."

"It's about that." Louis turns pink on his face and whines at Marcel when the Alpha shifts his upper body enough to move the knot buried inside him. 

If Louis thought Harry would be the most demanding sex-wise, he ate his words now. Of course Marcel was always gentle and it was more like making love with their bodies moulding into one suit, but he was also very blunt and asked for what he wanted.   
In the matter of four hours, they've had sex on almost every surface in the cabin. The only exception is the dining room table with a magnificent centrepiece. 

"Go on." Marcel kisses Louis' forehead and decreases the distance between them. 

"What do you look for in a mate? Why did you choose me?"

"Now I must ask why you're asking me this."

"Because besides the classes we had to take, I don't know how to-" His momentary pause is caused by a gasp because of Marcel moving again. "-t-take care of an Alpha, let alone three."

"You will not be made to do any work you object to. Our pack is very wealthy and outsider hybrids who want a place among us are made to do the labour."

"I thought your pack was thoroughbreds only."

"Our pack includes everyone who wants in but our bloodline is pure." He left out the part where they're one of two remaining pure-bred families left in any gene species. 

Louis looked away briefly upon hearing this, feeling nothing but betrayal and guilt now that he had three gorgeous but thoroughbred werewolf Alphas tied to him. 

"My brothers went to ask for your hand today. We want to court you, Louis."

"I'm inexperienced."

"You will learn." Marcel assures him. "You already know more about Harry than I did after a year of being in his company."

Louis gives him a look of grand disbelief. 

"I told you Harry never wanted an Omega enough to go through all this. He killed that woman last night to prove himself to you."

"He didn't have to." Louis mumbles slowly, shyly. 

"An Alpha must, above all, prove himself worthy of an Omega. I'm surprised he was the one out of us to do it."

Louis nods and pulls himself away from Marcel. The Alpha settles with his arms caging Louis' warm, drowsy form that's getting more relaxed against his chest. The Omega falls asleep to thoughts of the perfect life with three Alphas who were dominant in societal value and in gene. 

Harry and Edward walk into the cabin just before lunch time and their eyes roll bitterly at the pungent smell of sex in the air. 

"We need to open all the windows." Edward comments, envy strikingly evident in his voice. 

Harry doesn't seem to mind the smell and finds himself following the trail upstairs. "Baby brother's got a knot after all." 

"If they're sleeping, leave them alone!"

"If they're not, I'm joining."

Edward makes an annoyed sound - now he's the only one missing out - but decides to set about making lunch. He's the only one who cooks in their trio so now that Louis' going to do it, he should probably enlighten the Omega on their favourites. 

When there's no banging or loud grunts, he gets curious and goes upstairs to see what the majority of their foursome is up to with this silence. 

He's more pleased than irritated when he walks in on everybody sprawled out on the mattress. Even big, bad Harry is asleep with Louis under his arm. Everybody was naked - he couldn't explain why for Harry's case - and holding each other close. 

"Fuck it." He knew his resolve to make food has snapped and he crawls up the length of the mattress carefully to take his spot too. 

It was a delightful image. Louis in the middle, sleeping on his front between two burly Alphas, and Edward's cheek on his extreme lower back. He knows how that a pillow is a poor substitute for the soft refined glory that is Louis' baby soft skin. 

Louis wakes up almost half a dozen hours later when it's growing dark outside and only one of three Alphas - _his_ three Alphas - is still present. 

Harry. 

"You are very peaceful when you're asleep." The rugged, abrupt and anything but gentle Alpha is trailing his fingers across Louis' back. 

"Thank you." Louis blushes and smiles, wiggling closer to Harry's side. "You're here?"

"So it would seem."

"Why?"

"My brothers can't stick their hunger." 

Louis hears the unspoken _'like I do'_ and feels sympathy for his man. He also recalls what Marcel told him, that there's an unusual something about Harry. Something mysteriously intense lurks behind those dead eyes. 

"I have some news." Harry squeezes Louis' hip and the Omega releases a high-pitched sound when the grip got too tight. "I'm sorry, sweet love. It's hard to be gentle sometimes."

Shaking his head, Louis brings his lips to Harry's jaw. "I know you'd never hurt me on purpose."

Harry can't bring himself to answer that with as heartfelt a response as Louis'. "We spoke to the Dean about you."

"You did?"

"Yes." Harry curls his body around Louis' just so that for this small moment, he has the Omega to himself. "We are taking you away with us after the Games."

"That is exciting." Louis' smile falters. "I want to finish my studies here first please?"

"You are free to do that. We will come back for you." Harry assures him. "Maybe we won't leave at all until you can come with us."

Louis' inner Omega settles with a preen at Harry's comforting words. He doesn't want to be left behind when the triplets leave. What if they forget about him completely? 

"How did you spend your day?" 

Harry disrupts Louis' thoughts effectively and he blushes madly at how the heated memories come back to him. 

"You smell too much like him." Harry sounds displeased, a soft rumble in his words. 

"Him?"

"Marcel."

"He is your brother."

"Precisely, sweet. He is not _me_."

Harry is not gentle when he rolls them over, nearly crushing Louis under his deathly weight. The Omega gasps and grips his shoulders when Harry's muscled torso presses down on his slightly bloated tummy, causing the seed from inside him leak out faster. 

He tugs on Harry's hair and scratches his bicep. "St-Stop please."

"I have fair claim over you, my sweet. This is _mine_ too." Harry shoves two fingers past Louis' bare rim, clenching perfectly around the digits. 

"Ah!"

"I'm not going to push you further but I should tell you that I want to take you now, hard against the wall." Harry whispers, voice gravely and rough in Louis' ear. "You'll be joining us at the ball tonight, then Edward alone when he goes to meet some friends."

Louis' excited about a ball because he'll be a guest this time rather than working as student labour, but the Edward party he's not so keen on. He immediately tries closing his legs and whining when Harry just pushes against his special spot with his fingers some more. 

"I will be there." Harry assures him, their foreheads pressed together. "If Edward or anyone gets out of hand I will come for you, you alone."

"Will he get out of hand?" Louis asks softly, air whipped out of him when Harry extracts his fingers and sticks them in his own mouth. 

"It's happened before." Harry says after savouring the taste of Louis' leaking body and traces of his own brother. 

"Is it....is it scary?" 

"Sweetness, you are more dear to me than life or my lineage is. That should be the scariest thing you'll ever know."

  
* * * * *  


Louis never got to see a _ball_ through this perspective before, and he's caught between being flattered or repulsed now. 

It was wonderful because Alphas always stuck to their Omegas' sides and held them close when they were seated at allotted tables. It was a little disturbing that a total of four Omegas have already been knotted publicly by their Alphas. 

"Exhibitionism is one of our lesser inborn qualities, pumpkin spice." Marcel tells Louis, an arm around the Omega's waist. 

"A-Are you-"

"No." Edward provides for him. "We don't prefer every uncouth Alpha seeing you that way."

"If we are knotted to you, we can't protect you." Harry explains simply to Louis as they make their way through the dozens of tables set up so elegantly. 

"Oh." Louis recognises many faces here and he wants to go meet with them. He feels he needs to explain himself. 

"Sit, pumpkin." 

Usually Omegas got the head of the table to sit but Louis was very fidgety with that place and worked up a bunch of excuses to make everytime he got up. Harry sat opposite to him - playing the role of the most powerful Alpha in the house - with the other two triplets on either side. 

He spots Niall all the way by the stage, clipboard in his hand and wearing drab clothing. They're suffering to pick up the slack now that Madam's dead. 

"Excuse me please." Louis mutters before getting a nod from Edward and waking up. 

Louis' developed, over two full days, a specific sense that linked him to a space under Harry's ribcage where they stayed connected through complex feelings passed through a twisted kind of pre-bond. He didn't have it with Edward and Marcel, or if he did then those links were weaker.   
When he rises from his chair now, he gets a heavy feeling of something _stern_ in his chest and when he glances at Harry the Alpha is regarding him with piqued interest. He smiles quickly before rushing off. 

"He's safe here." Edward goes for the alcohol first. "There are so many of us, no harm can come to him."

Harry growls at the words of that sentence. He wants to ram his brother into a tree sometimes because of his insolence. 

"You're an arse, Edward." Marcel snaps, feeling uneasy himself. "He's not marked by us yet."

Leaving his brothers to ponder over his sudden disappearance, Harry weaves through the growing crowd that's entering the grand hall to get to Louis. The Omega is already chatting to his friend in hushed tones. 

"I can help, Niall." Louis offered him, guilt flickering across his features. 

"No, Lou." Niall assures him with a smile. "Your house comes first."

"I'm still a student here, Ni."

"But you're a guest at this ball so get your bum in a seat."

Harry interrupts at this moment, Niall dismissing himself when the intimidating Alpha makes an appearance suddenly from the mass of well-dressed, prim humanity. 

"Sweet?" Harry calls Louis to stand in front of him, a hair's breath of space between them. 

Louis leans into Harry's touch when the taller male caresses his cheek. An Omega always craves their Alpha's touch and physical affection because it let's them that they've been good. 

"Other Alphas are looking at you too closely." Harry rubs circles with the pad of his thumb into Louis' neck. "Wearing my jacket won't be good enough."

"I'll be okay." Louis tells him in a small voice, fitting himself under Harry's chin. "All three of you are here to protect me."

He's never had this kind of sentimental contact with any Omega, but it's _instinct_ with Louis. How he fights a threat and tears throats out, how he crushes bone and wins every battle for his family, he will comfort and adore this little Omega. 

"The ceremony is about to start, my sweet. We must go back to our table now."

"Alpha?"

"Yes?"

"Can I sit with you?"

"Why?" Harry frowns in confusion at the requesting Omega. 

"I don't like sitting where I am."

"Why, Louis?"

"I d-don't know. It makes me uncomfortable to sit at the head of the table alone."

"Listen, sweet." Harry cups the sides of Louis' face and leans in close to him. "We must all do things that we dislike. If you are going to belong to us, you must do many of those things. Learn from now."

Louis' a little wounded by being rejected but he nods and follows Harry back to the table with a substitute resolve. When they get back, Edward pulls his chair back and ropes Louis in with strong arms. 

"Hello, little dove." He knows Harry's watching them and presses a modest kiss to Louis' lips to make the anxious Omega settle. 

"Hi." Louis squeaks, hands settling on Edward's nape. 

"You're nervous. I can hear your heart racing."

"I can't hear yours." Louis deflects the problem with a pout. 

Edward chuckles and he, being far more compassionate and intuitive than his badass Alpha brother, allows Louis to sit on his lap for the ceremony. He wasn't going to let his doey-eyed Omega feel uncomfortable ever. 

"We're going somewhere after the ceremony." Edward informs Louis in his ear, fingers splayed out on Louis' sweater-covered tummy. 

"Okay." Louis notices how Edward's scent is a lot more calming than Harry's, and he could breathe it in deep for hours. 

"Don't you want to know where we're going?"

"I trust you." He says that but remembers Harry promising to come for him if things got out of hand. 

Something nudges Louis' ankle and he recoils from the furry touch before glancing over Edward's constricting arm at what it could be. He cooes when he recognises the shape shifting creature that Harry had gifted him last night, when many great decisions were made. 

"That filthy thing is better off lost." Harry comments with a distasteful scowl when Louis picks the puppy up. 

"I disagree." Marcel replies. "Louis loves it."

"Have you named him yet?" Edward questions Louis. 

As Alphas, they're all opposed to anything taking their future mate's attention away from them. Marcel's kind enough to hide that nature, but Edward and Harry are all for chucking it onto a busy street. 

"Hercules." Louis giggles when the puppy turns into a ferret and burrows into his shirt. 

The alarum trumpets blew thrice and the hall was silenced. The Dean walked in with his entourage and noticed their table before anyone else's. The ceremony this evening will include the announcement of the first challenge's winner, then the reward of giving that victor an advantage for the next challenge. 

"We will be trying something new for this year's Games but well practised in previous ones." The Dean speaks clearly into his microphone so his voice booms throughout the hall. "The second challenge will include something _all_ Alphas must participate in. It is second nature to us all, hunting."

There were loud howls and cheers in response from the tables of Alphas who knew exactly what the Dean meant. All three Styles were much more sophisticated and remained quiet, sipping red wine and listening carefully. 

"You will hunt creatures that nobody's hunted before in the past six to ten generations. They went extinct after the last war of the West, and had to be genetically harvested in our labs for this event."

The shouts got quieter as everybody was intrigued. The shapeshifter suddenly made a soft whine and hid in Louis' arms where he was cradled protectively. An almost sinister grin settled on the Dean's thin blue lips, remaining silent as thunderous footsteps echoed out for the first time. 

There were gasps and frightened noises from everyone. It seems that by just the growing footsteps they knew what the Dean was raving about.   
Edward's arms got very tight around Louis' middle and his entire position turned rigid, an unholy rumble coming from his chest. Even Marcel was looking around them in alarm. 

"Alpha?" Louis was confused and he didn't like being so. The beast sounded scary but he can't recall hearing about such a monster. 

"Edward." Harry spoke up from the farther end of the table. 

The other Alpha triplet nods once at Harry before helping Louis get off him, just to be snatched up by Harry's awaiting arms and made to settle again. 

"What's happening?" Louis really wants an answer. 

"Your Dean brought a very dangerous extinct creature back to life." Harry answers him, eyes set on the vibrating double doors by the wide stage. 

When Harry's last word is spoken, the doors fly open so hard one of them snaps off its hinges completely. It wasn't any regular force that blew it open, it was a beast so tall that the men controlling it with ropes had to pull harshly so its neck bent lower. Louis found that to be cruel, especially when the brightly coloured beast emitted a pained cry.

"What is that?" Louis sat up in fascination. 

Every Alpha in the room was stiff with tension and hostility. Harry held Louis with an armoured grip and kept him away. Edward had fluidly transformed into his wolf form, which is what Harry asked him to do with their nodding exchange. 

"The Perazeil, everyone." The Dean extended his arm towards the display of the creature battling fifteen Alphas with steel chains around its limbs and neck. 

It had bright scaly skin on its back and body, glistening under the bright lights. It roared like a creature thrice its size and had glowing red eyes that looked everybody in the eye, causing shivers. Its claws were approximately eight inches long, and teeth with half that length. 

"The last Perazeil fell when our ancestral clans fought. They were beasts of war, and were obedient in that day. We had made two, a male and a female. They reproduced and now we have fifteen Perazeil ready for the arena." The Dean continued. 

Suddenly cheers and hooting broke out, everybody is clearly excited beyond regular noise levels about facing a doom tomorrow that had fangs and claws. Alphas cheered and laughter poured out from every avenue, thrill of a true competitor filling the atmosphere. There was applause and giggling from Omegas all around. 

"The twisted bastard." Edward mutters once he's back to human form and sitting down. "He knows that's a serious danger."

"Everybody's celebrating, Edward. Don't ruin the festivities. " Harry admonishes. 

"They're all fools."

"I agree." Marcel helps Louis get through a plate of kale salad. Louis just scrunches up his nose but Marcel forces him to eat the green stuff, it's important for his health. 

"Do they realise that more than just one will die tomorrow?" Edward sits back in his chair, toying with his glass and watching intently as the Parazeil is held down on stage. 

"They do. They're fools, as you said." Marcel got Louis through the salad, now for the main course of steak. "We need to decide who's going in the arena tomorrow."

"Edward and I." Harry joins in again impassively. 

"Harry, that's not-"

"I don't care." The bigger Alpha cuts Marcel off. "You will stay in the cabin with Louis. Don't even come to the arena."

"You can't keep doing this. I'm an Alpha too."

"The day you pin me to the ground, I will let you do as you please. For now, you will _stand down_."

Louis looks between them with strange interest. He knows Harry's just afraid of his little brother getting hurt out there, but his way of showing it is messed up. 

"Am I understood?" 

Marcel gets up in a huff and storms off, making Louis flinch at the loud bang he creates with his cutlery and the screech of his chair. 

Edward sighs and shakes his head. "He's our brother, Harry. He deserves to be there tomorrow."

"I'd rather have him alive and hating me, than dead." Harry answers. 

Louis thinks these people are going to go crazy if they don't communicate better. "Can I go talk to him please?"

"Of course, sweet." Harry let's Louis go after his brother hesitantly, knowing Marcel should cool off with Louis since they were naturally close without a shove of encouragement. 

Following the strong scent of his Alpha, Louis makes his way out into a cold but brightly lit hallway. He hears footsteps to his left and to escape the rowdy laughter on his right, he hurries along. Marcel is outside in the smallest garden in their courtyard, cigarette freshly lit between his lips. 

"Marcel?" Louis feels comfortable calling him by his first name, but not so much with the other two brothers. 

"Hey, pumpkin." Marcel curls an arm around Louis' waist and reels him into his side while he leaned against a pillar. "Sorry I couldn't stay and help you finish eating."

"I can eat later." Louis puts his hand on Marcel's shoulder and the other fists the crispness of his dress shirt. "Are you upset?"

"It should wear off soon enough."

"I'm sorry."

"What for?" Marcel tilts his head towards Louis and pulls on his cigarette. 

"Harry just doesn't want to see you hurt, you know. He does care."

"I know. My brother is many vile things but he isn't egotistical. He just needs to give me a chance."

"I know he will." Louis assures Marcel's wounded ego, stroking the Alpha's strong jaw with his thumb. "Does he do it to Edward too?"

"Yes. Both of us are kept at home every chance he gets, like fucking ornaments."

"Well you've seen Harry's wolf, seen what he's been through. He'd rather go through it alone than let either of you get hurt like that."

Marcel sighs and resigns in his bitten lip before a brief nod. He wraps both arms around Louis, ditching his cigarette to embrace the chilly Omega. Louis smiles and buries his face in Marcel's neck, proud of himself for accomplishing this much in one night. 

"Let's go back inside." Marcel places a gentle peck on Louis' lips, mumbling his words against those dreamy thin pink cushions. "I want the rest of that steak."

Giggling, Louis acquiesces and follows Marcel back inside. They break into a jog once in the hallway, laughing as they keep their hands connected and skid to a stop at the closed doors. Marcel is quick and careful when he backs Louis up against one of the heavy wooden doors, hand on his hip and slots their lips together.   
Louis relaxes into the kiss quicker than he does with Harry or Edward, holding Marcel with hands gripping his suit jacket. He keeps his head tilted up, lips parting for air and getting Marcel's taste invading his senses. Touch, sight, hearing, smell and taste. 

Marcel breathes heavily through his nose and squeezes Louis' bum possessively, taking the Omega's bottom lip between his teeth and nipping at it. 

"They probably know what we're doing." Marcel's lips curve into a smirk, an arm caging Louis into this tight confinement. 

"Will we be in trouble?"

"If we are-" The prim Alpha can smell Louis' arousal, but he'd never knot Louis in public where they're both vulnerable. "-I'll protect you."

Louis' cheeks tint pink and he giggles freely into the space between them. After a few moments spent readying themselves for a public appearance, Marcel yanks the door open and leads Louis out with a hand on dip of his back. 

"Styles!" Some other brute of an Alpha calls out, and since Marcel responds Louis guesses it's his summon. 

"Derek!" Marcel makes Louis raise an eyebrow at their weird shoulder hug that has so much strength it can't not make Louis nauseous. 

"Been ages, M." The Alpha has glistening blond hair, sparkling white teeth and freckles on his neck. He's also very loud and Louis winces at the start of all his sentences. "I heard you three bastards were here but I know the Dean is a bit on the crack side."

Marcel throws his head back slightly and laughs, arm still securing Louis to him for safety. "Edward thinks so."

"Of course he would. Where is that fucker?"

"At our table. I think he's leaving in a bit, you should see him before he does."

"Who's this then?" The Alpha's attention turns to Louis, nose a little wrinkled. 

"Lou?" Marcel pinches Louis' hip to turn him around from where he's non-verbally communicating with Edward across the hall. 

"Hmm?" Louis turns his head back around and smiles politely at the new acquaintance. "Hi."

The Alpha grunts as an acknowledgement and that's it. Louis looks away ashamedly. This is one of two reactions he got when Alphas realised that he's a mutt and not a thoroughbred. 

"He already smells like you, M. I can't imagine you being possessive of whores."

Louis' never been so deeply offended before, although this is the better of the two responses he knows. The other was when they got more physical and Louis got minorly hurt. 

He doesn't expect, however, for Marcel - standard timid Alpha that he is - to erupt into a growl that rattles the nearby table. Louis didn't think there was such power in Marcel's heart, and he is surprised when his Alpha steps forward defensively.   
Not many people are looking at this point but the other triplets are certainly observing from a good distance. Louis steps back. 

"Apologise." Marcel wraps a hand around the other male's neck, ignoring the others in attendance when he slams him onto a table's surface. 

The people seated them scream and scatter, but Marcel doesn't let up. The Alpha is of a weaker gene obviously, or Marcel wouldn't be able to do this. Instantly there's an arm around Louis' middle that pulls him away and turns him around, encouraging Louis to hide in the soft scent awaiting him. It had to be Harry. 

"Sorry, M." The new Alpha doesn't fight because that's more humiliating. 

"Not to me!"

"I don't know his name."

"You don't need it." Marcel must have dug his sharp nail in because the Alpha choked momentarily. 

"I'm sorry." Derek sputtered, eyes on Louis who held Harry for dear life. "I should have known and it was indecent. Forgive me."

Louis' a gentle soul and he smiles softly, nodding to say he's forgiven. Marcel let's up and he returns to his group of familiar faces with a heavy sigh. 

"I'm proud of you." Edward says first, clapping his brother on the shoulder. "Who knew you could kick arse?"

"I did." Louis offers, making Marcel's glowing silver eyes soften through his smile. 

"Thanks, pumpkin." Marcel delivers a sweet little kiss to Louis' forehead before turning to Edward. "Must you take him with you tonight?"

"I'm afraid so." His brother replies. "Don't worry we'll be back early."

"Are you taking him to the rallies?" Harry let's Edward take Louis away from his arms. 

"Yes. We won't stay for more than three matches."

"Bring Lou back even if you want to stay or call us and we'll fetch him." Harry orders strictly. "Sweet?"

"Yes?" Louis' eyes reflect the chandelier's twinkle and Harry marvels at their stunning beauty. 

Harry swiftly acts by bending and attaching his mouth to Louis' neck-shoulder junction and biting with a fraction of the strength and intent he'd use when bonding Louis. It's a small mark that heals over to leave a neat puncture scar behind. 

"Should you need me." Harry kisses Louis' lips. "I will know because of this mark. Don't let anyone see it."

"Did you bond me?"

"No sweetheart, even though I long to. It's fainter than a bond and only I can give it to you."

"Can you only feel if I need help?"

"I can feel all that you are feeling."

Louis wants to try it out, so he fills his mind with gentle thoughts towards the triplets. All three of them make him feel special and he wants to spend the rest of his life thanking them. 

"Thank you, sweet." Harry didn't realise how close they were until Edward is taking Louis' hand away from his. "I felt that."

Grinning at him, Louis turns to say goodbye to Marcel at last. The Alpha picks their shape shifting pet companion off the ground and tosses him at Louis. 

"I will wait for you tonight." Marcel kisses Louis again as the shapeshifter turns from ferret to a lemur and sits perched on Louis' shoulder. "Try and leave that thing behind."

"Don't be mean, Alpha." Louis smiles when the creature's tail wraps around his waist.

  
* * * * *  


"Have you ever heard of the rallies, little dove?" Edward drove with one hand on the steering wheel and the other encompassing Louis'. 

"No." Louis answers honestly. "What are they?"

"It's like a downgraded version of the Games." Edward turned off the neat freeway that's the only escape from Louis' institution of study, onto a narrower street with buildings all along it. 

Louis' never been to the city before. He's been to the woods and on faraway excursions but he wasn't aware that a city so tall and wondrous existed so close to him. He sits up in his seat and takes heed to all that's passing him: signs, billboards, other cars. 

"I take it you haven't been here before, dove?" Edward squeezes Louis' hand as they come to a stop by the curbed street in front of a sleek, stout building. 

"What is this place?" Louis asks curiously as they get off. 

People are queued outside for many blocks and Louis' fascinated to see so many people eager to get in. He can smell their genes, and their breeds. Their scents are extra prominent because of the mix of colognes.   
Louis' shapeshifter pet hisses, almost scaring him with the malicious sound. It's turned into a serpent, black and glistening, sliding across Louis' shoulders to assert its presence. 

Edward makes his way around the Escalade with an outstretched hand that he engulfs Louis' smaller fist with. "This is one of the finest NightShade establishments."

"NightShade?" Louis follows closely, feeling terrible for the people in the line when Edward and he get to just walk right in. 

"A chain of nightclubs run by night creatures." Edward answers loudly, to be heard above the shouts and thumping of music. "Most successful bunch of bastards I know."

They've entered through the top floor and below them is the dance floor - flooded with bodies getting closer and closer to each other - before the wall-to-wall bar manned by four bartenders in uniform and the many booths positioned along the wall. Louis counts eight on one side alone, with enough space in each to house a family. 

Louis flinches when someone brushes his side with sweaty skin, winces when the music keeps up a powerful crescendo, and whines when people mindlessly shout at one another. His senses aren't as controlled as an Alpha's or Beta's, as he is meant to be in delicate situations to suit himself. Being thrust into an environment like this isn't good for him. 

"Nobody will hurt you here." Edward promises, bending from his height to mouth at Louis' ear. "If you are uncomfortable, tell me."

Louis nods, chewing his lip and sticking close to Edward's side as the manoeuvre through the dancing bodies to a reserved section. Women - Beta women - are dancing on poles that are attached to the ceiling, the DJ controlling the music is set up on the far side of the room with neon paint indicating every move he makes. 

"This is ours for the night." Edward tells him, porcelain skin serving as a platform for the radiant lighting to bounce off and the green of his eyes becomes yellow. "It gets dark in here, little dove. I need my other vision to see."

"Oh." 

Louis decides, once he's seated cross-legged on their booth's sofa, that he isn't moving until it's time to go. Shuffling around and trying not to scream with sobs because of the way his ears hurt, is too much. He's here because Edward wants him here, so he thinks he just needs a couple of minutes to get accustomed to everything. 

"The alcohol is too strong here." Edward slides in next to him, kissing Louis' cheek and temple while rubbing his knee. "They have simple stuff too. Do you want something?"

Surprisingly, people do wait on the guests here and their server is a tattooed man with spaghetti arms and pink eyes. Louis heard about the fork-tongued cat hybrids having pink eyes. He smiles at the man and gets a smile back, but it's less aesthetically pleasing. 

They have three menus, each especially designed for either Alpha, Beta or Omega. If someone were to have an item from another gender's menu it could make them severely ill or worse. Louis shivers thinking about it. 

"They're so expensive." Louis says to himself. Their currency of durans was posh in itself but this place still charged twenty-five durans for a milkshake. 

"I'm a close friend of the owner." Edward's lips are pressed to Louis' pulse point. "We get everything free, Lou."

Louis notices that there's not much alcoholic options on the Omega portion of the menu, and he knows why. Omegas didn't have a high tolerance for alcohol, and all of them knew that so they stayed away. Louis never tasted alcohol and he doesn't want to, ever.   
Edward orders himself a type of drink called _Lizard's Blood_ and some Oreos for Louis. The munching will help to focus his senses rather than have them scattered. 

"Do you know anybody here?" Louis had landed in Edward's lap after the hybrid waiter left them, straddling the Alpha's thighs and trying to discreetly cover his ears. 

"I've met many people before." Edward is kissing up Louis' neck, groaning when Louis made a kind of breathless sound. "I don't remember them all."

"Do you recognise anybody now?"

With a loud chuckle, Edward drops Louis onto the couch and looms over him. He can hear the racing of the sweet Omega's heartbeat, the savoury scent and divine touch. He pins Louis' wrists down so the boy under him whines and spreads his legs, attaching his lips to the supple skin of his neck.   
The serpent is yanked away from Louis' neck where it coiled protectively, Edward's hand applying enough pressure to nearly kill it. 

Louis starts to resist when Edward's hands slip between them to his pants button and zip. He doesn't want to do this in public, where so many strangers can see. He unknowingly emits a whine that signals distress, something he hasn't used because his instincts never took over before. 

Edward's bound by the responsibility of an Alpha and he immediately pulls away, straightening them up and checking for any harm on his Omega. 

"Sorry." Louis feels guilty for lying, wrapping his arms around Edward's neck. "I-I don't want to do th-that here."

"Alright, baby. I'm sorry, love." Edward soothingly rubs Louis' back, holding him close. 

When Louis' Oreos arrive, he starts eating them immediately. He never got to finish that chicken with Marcel earlier and the hunger's catching up to him. Edward kisses spots on his neck and shoulder, still mumbling apologies and reassurances. 

"It's okay." Louis giggles loudly when Edward's fingers dig into his sides to tickle him. 

"Am I forgiven?"

"You are." Louis kisses Edward's pursed lips and plays with the ringlets of hair at his nape. 

He's gotten Louis a tall sundae but Louis thought it smelt weird, then was told there was a teensy bit of Irish whiskey at the base. Louis ate the top half but refused to touch the bottom. 

"Love, are you sure?" 

Louis nods. "I don't like alcohol."

"I can ask them to make one without any, if you'd like."

"I'm okay."

After a short while, Edward recognises some faces. He smiles widely at the new arrivals while Louis feeds his serpent the rest of the sundae. The creature was a small size because he isn't fully grown yet, and even he coughed repeatedly because of the alcohol intake. 

There are three people, one female with red hair and two males with fishnet shirts and major ink. Louis doesn't try to speak to them beyond formalities, and keeps his attention focussed solely on his pet. He's been doing well thus far, with little pressure bubbles in his ears but nothing more. 

"How's life, Ed?" She asks, blunt white teeth exposed in her smile. "We haven't seen you in months."

"Have you been ignoring us?" The man to her left, with bright orange eyes, is looking between Louis and Edward with interest. "Who's your friend? He smells local."

"This is Louis." Edward sits forward, Louis shifting in his lap to get comfortable again. "He's ours."

"You still have to share with your brothers?"

Edward nods, chin on Louis' shoulder. "We don't mind with Louis."

"What I'd do to be a fly on your wall."

Edward's laughter is imprinted on Louis' shoulder. "The last time I saw you three, you were the same."

"Not true." One objects. "He's mated now."

"Oh? To which unlucky soul?"

"Me."

Edward howls with laughter and Louis almost hits his knee on the underside of the table. "Brilliant. Fucking brilliant."

"Oh yeah." The woman suddenly remembers something and reaches for her bag. "We got you this."

A baggie is slid across the table and Louis widely avoids it. Edward picks it up for examination. "Cold medicine?"

"You wanted it the last time we met." 

"Fucking Hell, Eliza." Edward leans back with the bag in his hands, in awe. "How'd you get this?"

"It's easy when your crotch is meant more for taking than giving." She rolls her eyes and sips her drink, identical to what Edward's having. "Best keep that away from your brothers."

"Marcel is fine. Harry will bust a vein."

"It'll probably be yours too."

Edward sighs and waves away all concern. "Let me get something from the bar to roll this with."

Louis is slid off the Alpha's lap carefully and kissed behind the ear before Edward leaves. He's instantly uneasy with three sets of eyes on him, watching him give attention to a shapeshifter serpent with red eyes. 

"You're a young one. How did the devil triplets find you?" Eliza raises her chin and asks crudely. 

"They're not devils." Louis looks up. He really likes the triplets. 

"Of course not, darling. They just happened to pick you out of a crowd to be their mate."

Louis reaches up to cover his ears partially when the beat begins to make the walls vibrate and his a sick ringing sensation. "Th-They did."

"You're still in school. Why pick such an inexperienced Omega?"

"Purity matters to them."

"Honey, if it did they'd still be virgins too."

The noise is grown to be too much and all Louis can see is green, red and blue. He whimpers and looks around him for Edward but they're not bonded and the Alpha won't know when he needs him. 

"I don't want to be here anymore." Louis doesn't feel the thrum of energy coming from his neck where Harry's mark sat cradled. 

"He's been gone ten minutes. If he comes back at all, that'll be a sight."

Louis gets up and feels his pet snake wind up his arm like a tight rope, keeping him grounded. He can't exactly smell Edward with so many other scents messing with his system, but Edward said he was going to the bar so that's where he should be. 

Unfortunately the only way to the bar is through the dance floor. 

Louis takes a steadying breath and tries to work his way through without being shoved a lot. The music was getting louder and less merciful, making his head pound and ears redden with the noise.   
He can't help the scared whimper that escapes him when a hand grabs his hip, then another holds his forearm. Both are released after the serpent bites the strangers. 

He's almost pushed to the ground when someone big and angry strides past him, in perfect tandem with the bass to crash and send everyone into a frenzy. Louis feels wetness by his cheek and he touches the skin, only to pull back and see blood. 

He panics and let's fear overrun him, trying to dab away the blood but the flow keeps up and stains his sweater, his hands turning bright red. The blood loss makes him extremely dizzy and if it weren't for a set of hands supporting his waist, he'd have collapsed from fatigue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiii o.O sorry I take so long to do things. I really hope u enjoyed this chapter, but if you didn't tell me why please. 
> 
> This is the [Parazeil](http://dontmesswithdinosaurs.com/wp-content/uploads/DMWD/Yutyrannus-ColoredWeb.jpg), for those who are curious.
> 
> Feedback is love! - Sxx


	5. V

_**[A/N: Very short. I'm so sorry.]** _

**He panics and let's fear overrun him, trying to dab away the blood but the flow keeps up and stains his sweater, his hands turning bright red. The blood loss makes him extremely dizzy and if it weren't for a set of hands supporting his waist, he'd have collapsed from fatigue.**

Louis' red flags go up when those arms tighten around him, constricting his free movements. He's majorly disorientated and can feel his physical functions slowly fading. Why did he have to be an Omega with such little strength?

"Shh, my sweet." They whisper to him in his ear, and Louis breathes a sigh of relief. "It's alright now."

Relaxing against that firm frame of a body, Louis let's his exhaustion wash over him unceremoniously. Harry's here and he feels safe now. His short fingers grip the silky suit's sleeves and he slots himself under Harry's chin. The Alpha spoke the truth earlier, and delivered on his promise to help Louis should a problem arise. Now he touches the skin of Louis' cheekbones and jaw where blood is slowly trickling down his face. 

"I could smell this." Harry's jaw is tight and his anger glows through the red in his eyes. "What happened?"

Louis forgot about the blood, and how he's currently staining Harry's designer clothing. The Alpha doesn't seem to mind. He looks at his hands again and chokes on a sob when the blood is still there. 

"Let's get you out of this place." Harry bends to pick up Louis, cradling him to his chest. 

"Th-The blood is-is mine." Louis' body is close to shutting down now that he's been exposed to something sharply inappropriate for too long. 

"I know." Harry can't find it in himself to cool off. He's going to make Edward pay for this. 

Marcel came with Harry and he's flooded with worry when he sees his brother walk out with Louis limp in his arms. 

"What happened to him?" The youngest triplet touches Louis' forehead. 

"Get in the back and hold him." Harry orders. 

"I-I'm sorry." Louis stutters. 

"No, no. Not your fault, sweet." Harry lays Louis down in the back seat, across Marcel's lap. 

"Hey Lou." Marcel chews his own lip, using tissues to futilely wipe up the drying blood. Louis' eyes were closed. "Pumpkin, you need to stay awake."

"It's alright, let him rest." Harry makes a sharp turn and gets them back on campus grounds. "Do you know what to do or should we get a doctor?"

"I know what to do."

Once outside their cabin, Harry comes a rough halt and opens the door for Marcel to carry Louis out. 

Though it wasn't necessary, Marcel taught himself the art of medicine. He treated Louis' ears - that bled because of his sensitivity to everything extreme - with drips and cleaned all the blood off with a soft sponge. Louis was quick to fall asleep and Harry made sure he was warm before leaving the room to await Edward's return. 

"Do you think he realised Louis was gone?" Marcel had another cigarette between his lips, standing in the doorway while Harry waited out in the yard. 

"Doesn't look like it." Harry gestured to the lack of their brother's presence. "I will end him for this."

"You'd harm your brother for Louis?"

"Wouldn't you? Louis did nothing wrong."

"Don't bother going easy on him." Marcel flicks the dying stub away. "He earned what's coming to him."

Marcel returned to Louis' side upstairs and got in under the covers to cuddle the sleeping Omega. He heard the screech of Edward's SUV coming to a halt, and the unforgiving bang of something heavy colliding with something bigger. Louis whimpers in his sleep and Marcel covers his ears. 

"Harry!" Edward shouted at his older brother, back to his human form after he was cruelly thrown against his vehicle. 

"You irresponsible, selfish, disgraceful _cunt_." Harry snapped viciously, the red hot anger travels between them in waves. 

Edward's about to open his mouth and defend himself meekly, but Harry lunges at him with his wolf form again and he just manages to transform in time so he can take the blow. Harry's jaw closes around Edward's neck, applying enough force to make the other wolf whine and limp. He futilely tries to snap at Harry but the stronger wolf pins him down, bending his neck at a painful angle. 

It's blinding rage that keeps Harry motivated, something that's worked well before on the enemy. He keeps his teeth pierced into Edward's neck, edging close to his jugular. He growls when Edward's paw extends and the sharp claws scratch him across his eye.   
He knows Edward can handle this much pain as a wolf, but he won't stop until he feels the punishment is delivered. 

"Harry, enough!" Marcel is shouting at him. 

What a fucking hypocrite.

"He's not strong enough! Harry, _stop_." Marcel took a while to realise it but when he got the first whiff of Edward, he was well intoxicated by drugs. 

"Brother." Edward changes back, becoming a blurry transformation. "I'm sorry."

Harry withdraws with remarkable speed, kneeling over Edward to encourage his healing. He paws at the snow beside Edward's head and howls when Edward's head lolls to the side, void of life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Edward](http://hbz.h-cdn.co/assets/cm/14/52/549a30c96b94d_-_hbz-harry-styles-promo.jpg) will be back.


	6. VI

**_[A/N: Those of you amazing people awaiting Animal's next update, I'm sorry I'm taking foreverrrrrr, but Animal's already got a whole bunch readers while I'm trying to build this story so thank u for being patient with me. WARNINGS FOR THIS CHAPTER: Twincest? Let's just call it triplet-sex. But just two of 'em. Blood. Yeah the simple stuff. Lots of love - S xx]_ **

**Harry withdraws with remarkable speed, kneeling over Edward to encourage his healing. He paws at the snow beside Edward's head and howls when Edward's head lolls to the side, void of life.**

Just like when someone you're bonded to gives up on living, Harry feels a heavy suction at the back of his mind then _nothing_. There's one less responsibility, one less problem. One less person to share Louis with. He knows he shouldn't be this robotic, but what is there to do now?

"What did you _do_?!" Marcel can turn into a real Beta when he's overruled by emotions. 

Harry stops his younger triplet from getting too close to Edward's body. He grabs Marcel's arms and shoves him back. While he's mechanical in thinking, Marcel functioned with his heart. 

"Go be with Louis." Harry growls. 

Marcel's face crumbles and he looks ready to shatter externally. His fists are clenched, jaw rigid and eyes wet. Harry can feel it too, the pain. Such _horrible_ pain and it's all his doing. 

" _Now_ , Marcel."

Like a thorn being extracted from cotton wool, Marcel starts to move again. He turns around and runs back to the cottage that had one less occupant now, and slams the door shut. He's so thankful to the Gods that Louis is asleep and doesn't know. 

He isn't thankful for long. 

Louis is sitting up in bed, and it doesn't look like he moved at all but he _knows_ anyway. 

"Edward?" The Omega's voice trembles. 

Marcel shakes his head and sucks in a shallow breath, unable to comfort and be consoled. He lost his brother, someone who has been a part of him since conception. Louis offered comfort anyway, and Marcel relaxes in the boy's arms as they lie there paralysed on the bed.   
Louis' known them a few hours - maybe two whole days, he's not sure - but Marcel picks up on genuine distraught emotions running off Louis' perfect skin. He cuddles Louis close, trying to eliminate their shivers, and hopefully recuperate. 

Outside Harry has all but pulled his hair out at the roots. His knuckles are bleeding steadily from where he's punched light poles, and fell to the ground by Edward's head. 

Suddenly he knew what to do, and it didn't include death or grieving at all. 

When Harry was unborn and then brought into this world without a life, just innocence, something unnatural saved him. Something unnatural wanted him to live, see the world and destroy it with his brute strength. Harry delivered on that, and that entity never showed again. 

Until now. 

Even he hasn't ever seen the being itself. It was a shadow that just made every object it passed a little darker than it should be, no facial or bodily features to recognise. It wasn't good though, because anything good-natured wasn't able to resurrect the dead. 

"Bring my brother back." He says to the air, frost forming on his lips as the shadow got closer to him. 

_"What price will you pay?"_

"Anything. My life, you can have it. Just bring him back!"

_"You are cunning. You knew I'd never ask for your life."_

Harry kneels, head bowed as he tries to regain control of himself. "He didn't deserve to die."

_"Yet you killed him."_

The Alpha's growl is low and predatorial but the shadow is nothing but, it had no fear. 

_"I will give him life, for another life."_

"Who?"

But the shadow is gone and Harry is warm again, Edward's cheeks are red again and the bite marks on his neck are closed. He gets to his sibling in time to hear him coughing violently, ridding his body of rotting blood and gripping Harry's arm violently. 

"Get up." Harry isn't going to partake in an emotional reunion. Edward was brought back and now they had to get him used to his new mind. 

"This feels terrible, Harry." Edward stands on wobbly feet and wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. "You killed me, you bastard!"

"I brought you back." 

"Why?" Edward wasn't asking how, but why. 

"Louis and Marcel. I can hear them, feel their sorrow. I did it for them."

Harry grabs the back of Edward's neck in his fist and throws him to the ground. The Alpha changes into his wolf form quick enough, with just a bit of blurry vision in between because a resurrected wolf is not the same as a living one. 

"You're bigger now." Harry compliments the creature that is breathing harshly. "Stronger, faster and hungrier."

Edward growls and it feels more fierce. Even the muscles on his back are tougher, his limbs longer and eyes pure black like one of Harry's. 

"I've been this way since birth." Harry strips off his jacket. "It's painful and you have two things on your mind: hunger and sex. I will teach you how to hone your senses and function regularly."

Harry's more fluid when he changes, diving forward and impressively fitting into his monstrous beast's suit like a second skin. He nudges Edward onward and they sprint towards the line of trees near their cabin, before changing back. 

Edward is frowning and moving with some difficulty, making Harry smirk evidently. 

"Fuck you." Edward sneers. "Why does my-"

"Your knot is also bigger." Harry pushes his hair back. "If you don't release it a few times it will bleed."

The first thought to come to Edward is a certain little Omega with lovely blue eyes and a pliant body. Harry growls deep in his chest. 

"You won't touch Louis until you're less beast and more man." Harry steps into Edward's space. "You can hurt him."

"I've already done that." Edward's mood turns sombre. "I really am sorry, brother."

"It's not for me to forgive. Move now, go hunt."

Edward doesn't have to be told twice, barely once. He takes off in the direction of the nearest heartbeat and comes back dragging a coyote with him. 

"Bigger." Harry says after Edward's deposited the carcus. "Something with similar strength to you."

The wolf nods and returns to his hunt. Harry changes into his wolf and finds a sharp rock to sit on, awaiting his brother's return. He lowers his head and upper half when he hears the roar of a bear, then skin tearing and what can only be Edward tearing off body parts to make the load lighter. 

"Eat." Harry raises his chin, the way he does when he delivers an order to their pack in Nova Scotia. 

"Why do you have only one black eye but both of mine are black?" Edward is covered in blood, smelling awful and still gets so close to Harry. 

"I was given this life when I was still an innocent." Harry doesn't look at him. "You died a sinner."

Edward nods and slides off the rock once again to rejoice in his meal. He offers Harry a portion out of respect, but the experienced Alpha denies him promptly. 

"Are you full?" Harry asks after Edward is done. 

"Yes."

"Not for long."

"Is life this hard for you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Everything's brighter and louder. I hate it."

"This is the true wolf form. Our generations have degraded over the years." Harry explains, summoning his brother closer. "Come here."

Edward's form is different to Harry's, it's far more desirable. Harry had ribs still visible through his muscle and tight skin, a prominent pelvic girdle and in some positions his spine would be visible. Edward's movements were graceful even when newly reborn, and Harry wants to kill him again. 

When his brother's lips meet his, Harry huffs irritably and pulls back. "Absolutely not."

"Why not?" Edward looks more offended than he should. 

"I'm here to help you not bust a vein in your knot."

"Who will kiss me then?"

"Louis. Maybe Marcel."

They move faster than ordinary werewolves in human form do, so when they find themselves pressed against a tree trunk neither is stunned with surprise. Harry keeps a hand curled around Edward's throat, and his mouth dangerously close to Edward's because he knows how easily tempted the other wolf is. 

"If you don't do this, I will give Louis the honour." Edward mocks, getting Harry riled up. 

"I will have to kill you a second time."

"Is my knot bigger than yours?"

"No."

"That's awful."

"I'm still an Alpha leader so of fucking course my knot is bigger, Edward."

  
* * * * *  


Louis fell asleep after his head began to pain with a pulsating throb, the problematic core at the back of his head. Marcel removed the cotton from the sleeping Omega's ears, hands a little shaky and breaths a little weak. He doesn't know how he's supposed to go on with his days, one less brother to come home to every day. 

The door downstairs opens and Marcel smells the rustic air, Harry's shampoo and something else. Louis stirs with a mumble in his sleep. The door bangs shut and Harry hisses.   
Louis sits up at the obnoxious noise, frowning at the closed bedroom door with puffy eyes. 

"Hey." Marcel goes to his side, kissing those delicate lips and smiling as convincingly as he can. "It's just Harry. Sleep, pumpkin."

"Smells different." Louis wraps his hand around Marcel's bare bicep. "Woke me up."

"Yeah, I know."

The footsteps ascending the staircase are singular and belonging to one person, up until the twelfth step. Then Louis can hear through injured eardrums, a second pair. 

"What the-"

The door swings open on vintage hinges and Harry enters with an expressionless face. Marcel gets up to go to him, but someone else follows him in. Someone identical to Harry, with slightly longer hair and different, coal black eyes darting everywhere like an insomniac. 

"Edward." Louis is new to this family but he's the first to react, scrambling out from under the covers and throwing himself at the man. 

The Alpha nearly dies when he responds late, having to step forward twice before he can catch the Omega. Louis is supposed to be angry at him, but the boy is wrapped tightly around him with traces of mourning wearing off. Louis' arms are wound around Edward's neck, keeping him close and doing excellently at ignoring the foul stench of blood. 

"Edward." The Omega repeats, clinging to his Alpha's neck and waist. "You're here."

"Hey there, little dove." Edward grips the backs of Louis' thighs but doesn't kiss him. He still has blood in his mouth. 

"Where'd you go?" Louis puts his small hands on either side of Edward's face, thumbing at the man's strong jaw. 

"Doesn't matter, does it? I'm here now."

 _Of course it matters_ , Louis thinks but doesn't say. Today's been a long enough day and he'd appreciate some time spent doing nothing but relaxing with these sociopathic Alpha triplets. 

Marcel's having the twin telepathy communication with Harry. He wants to know what happened here and why Edward is alive, because he _felt_ Edward's pain of demise. He knows it was real.

"What happened?" Marcel uses words and his very disgruntled voice when he corners Harry. 

It's amusing to Harry, as he smirks devilishly at his slightly shorter attractive triplet. "What do you mean?"

Marcel grabs Harry's arm and pulls him into the bathroom, digging his nails into the bony wrist. "Edward died. I _felt_ it."

"So did I."

"He's my brother too, Harry!"

"There are some things, little brother, that you should be kept in the dark about. It's for your own good."

"All kinds of nasty magic exists in our world, Harry. Everything has a price."

Outside, Edward's nostrils are filled with Louis delectable scent and his fingers twitch every so often against the Omega's flesh where it's bare. Spring air was sweet but not as sweet as Louis, wine could never make him as drunk and no amount of Ecstasy can make him high enough. 

Since a few hours ago when he woke up with new eyes and sharper senses, only blood and sex have plagued his mind. He wants to pet Louis and embrace him like a starved man, but he also wants to carve a bond mark in Louis' neck while he's buried deep enough inside him for it to _hurt_.

"Alright, little dove." Edward clears his throat to demolish such thoughts from his head. 

With his brothers in the bathroom whispering about things he can hear very clearly, Edward decides to abandon all hopes of a get-clean shower session. He can't be around Louis like this however because Omegas had significantly weak immune systems. 

"What happened to you?" Louis keeps his hands on either side of Edward's face. 

"Nothing." Edward kisses Louis' hands, leaving bloody marks behind. "Nothing, my little dove."

  
* * * * *  


Louis was left upstairs when Marcel took Edward down to the kitchen for a more nutritional meal. The Omega had blood on his clothes and dried in his hair and skin, he's in dire need of a shower. With a deep breath, he walks into the brightly lit bathroom 

"You have many things to say." Harry addresses him from the shower glass divider, while stripping off his shirt. "Let me tell you something first."

"Yes?" Louis steps closer and the warmth radiated by his Alpha is palpable, pulling him in. 

"You look-" Harry turns around completely nude. "-like a vision to me."

Louis' inner submissive preens and his smile glows under the dimmed fluorescent lighting, extending an arm as if he and Harry were together for ages and touches the Alpha's clavicle. 

"I don't know how you did it, but it worked so I'm grateful." Louis peers up with sparkling blue marbles for eyes. "Thank you."

"He is my brother, a third of myself." Harry encases Louis' waist with one broad arm, causing the Omega's back to arch and heartrate to pick up. "There is hardly a thing I wouldn't do for him, like with you."

"You don't know me half as well."

"Yes but we will learn, so will you. Pleasing us won't be easy, my sweet."

"I know." The blue-eyed Omega is held still under the flowing shower spray as they both get the day's grime off for the second time tonight. "You are all three very different Alphas."

"And you are one Omega." Harry with water in his hair and on his skin makes him look like what an Omega thinks of during a heat spent alone. "One very capable Omega."

Harry's never once before spent time during a shower with someone else, but being in the enclosed space with a giggly Louis makes him never want to vacate. He nudges Louis' head to the side, plasters his back to the wall and leaves a path of bruising bites on the sensitive skin. His teeth extend and pierce Louis' skin carefully, latching on just to hear those desperate whines. 

"My sweet." Harry traces Louis' flawless cheekbone with his index finger. "If I weren't so tired......-"

Louis' cheeks flame up and he hides in Harry's neck. "Tomorrow is a big day."

"Yes. I want you to stay here when Edward and I leave."

"Why? I thought I could come to the arena at least."

"No." Harry shakes his head. "I need you and Marcel to stay here."

"Okay." 

"You're so obedient." Harry keeps Louis' chin tilted upward. "I can't wait for your heat, my sweet love. I'm going to _enjoy_ you."

That night the sleeping arrangements were exceptionally simple. Louis got to go to bed last because of a visit to the loo. He curled up on the edge of the bed where Edward was, smiling contentedly when the Alpha ropes an arm around him for warmth.   
His ears are still red and recovering from their injury speedily, being close to an Alpha he knows helped to keep what minimal pain there was at bay. His head rested on Edward's chest and arms folded under his chin. While the Alpha couldn't sleep, he compared the little Omega to a beautiful bird. Small and gentle. 

Edward feels the need to roll over because his left side is falling asleep, so he has to take Louis with him or the younger boy will fall off the bed completely. 

At something to three in the morning, Louis gets up for another bathroom break. When he returns Harry is awake and waiting. 

"Are you unwell?" Harry grabs hold of Louis' middle with an extended arm of his. 

The Omega comes forward easily, as his duty is to three Alphas so he has to spread himself evenly. "I don't feel unwell."

"Nobody _feels_ unwell until after you're doped up on pills." Harry chuckles, indicating to Louis his dying sense of humour, but even so it looks like he's ready to murder somebody at the drop of a hat. 

Louis obediently climbs onto Harry's lap, since Marcel and Edward are turned away it shouldn't be much of an issue. He sneezes when he's been exposed to the cold air for too long, and whimpers when the shock shoots straight to his blasted eardrums. 

"Try to sleep." Harry presses Louis' chest flush against his own where his skin could be kept warm on the natural body temperature of 104 degrees Celsius of an Alpha. 

He has to draw the covers up and maybe make himself feel a little too hot but Louis falls asleep right away and that's really what makes a lot of things worth it. Being restless much like his brother, Harry has to roll over too and when he does he puts Louis between himself and Marcel.   
It was astounding that without a bond any of the three triplets could sense Louis anywhere. It made Harry proud to know that such a beautiful, remarkable little Omega is all theirs forever. 

In the later part of the morning, when the larks are just concluding their morning hymns, Edward has red in his eyes and fire on his tongue. He's _fuming_ with intense, smoking rage and there's no cure. He woke up with empty arms when he swore that he went to sleep with a certain Omega held close. 

That's why when he saw how Harry held Louis like he wasn't going to share - what a ridiculously _selfish_ thing to do - he lost it. 

Maybe - and it is very likely - that the copious amount of newly added Alpha hormones, has driven him to the crisp edge. Everything ticked him off and Harry should understand that, should comprehend the nerve and thought process - or lack thereof.  
He reaches for Harry's arm, or any body part, to yank painfully and wake him up. 

Harry moves before anything drastic can happen, but Edward and him still get into a rather nasty brawl that breaks two of three cabinets, a pinewood desk and several lamps. 

"You're a selfish prick, Harry." Edward wipes the blood from his bust lip. "You're so fucking greedy all the time."

It's crash after crash, and Edward is no match for Harry because the latter's been in duals far more dangerous than battling his own sibling. 

"Take Louis downstairs." Harry tells a groggy Marcel who grunts and contributes to the fight by tossing a pillow at them both. 

"No." Edward is the one closest to the door and his broad stature is blocking the exit everywhere except for above his shoulders. "Don't, Marcel."

Louis was woken up by the racket and Marcel chooses to ignore Edward for Harry, because the Omega hardly knows them personally and here he goes scaring the poor boy. He's sure to leave them, but Marcel's put too much in this Omega to let that happen. 

"Alpha, what's happening?" Louis' senses weren't always on high-alert like them, so all he wanted to do was go back to sleep. It's too early. 

"They're both chock-a-block with Alpha hormones." Marcel teases, flinching when a growl comes from one or both of the other two triplets. 

Louis giggles and opens his eyes slowly, instantly furrowing as they narrowed on all the broken furniture. Harry looked the same, maybe a little dishevelled, but Edward looked _animalistic_. It scared him the way the Alpha's eyes had become molten rocks, his skin looked gaunt and tight around his bulging physique. 

His poor Alpha Edward, he shouldn't be this stressed so early in the morning. 

"Edward?" 

The little, honey-soft voice gets Edward to turn his head. Harry's partially blocking Louis, but for now the available half is satisfactory. 

"Hello, little dove." Edward sounds calmer, for their pretty Omega, but still so rigid in everything else. 

"What's wrong?" Louis tilts his head. Marcel's already fallen asleep again, being always the most sleep-friendly of them. 

"Nothing, Lou. It's alright now." 

"Why are you so angry?"

"Not angry." Edward shakes his head in refusal, rendering a smile and forcing his way past Harry to get to Louis. 

"No?"

"No." Edward chuckles, his previous emotive storm forgotten like tumbleweed. 

Harry wishes he could forgive Edward. He wants to know why at the back of his mind, he thinks paying a price - or being indebted - for Edward's life wasn't worth it. He's been strangled with these circumstances too and he pushed himself through, as an adolescent Alpha who just popped his first knot. Yet here's Edward, a fully grown Alpha male still acting dramatic and childish.   
He doesn't utter a word before going into the bathroom and slamming the door so all the shards of broken household items vibrate. 

Louis' startled and his fingers tighten in Edward's hair, tugging a bit to get the Alpha away from his neck. 

"Edward?" He gasps when he's dropped onto the mattress and a gush of air races out of him, the cold sheets make him shiver. 

The Alpha's eyes are still red, still feral and primal. He covers Edward's mouth with his hand when he tries to initiate something. 

"Your brother's upset." Louis tells him. 

"As always." Edward grunts, not understanding why he's being punished for Harry's delinquency. 

"Why were you fighting?"

"You."

"Why? I belong to both of you."

"You were supposed to sleep with _me_ last night. Not him."

Louis flushes beautifully. "It wasn't his fault. Tonight, I'll sleep on your side. I promise."

"Thanks, dove."

The Omega hums and twirls one of Edward's flat curls with his finger. "You're brothers, it should be a very strong bond between you two."

"It is strong. The connotations of that bond are more confusing."

"It shouldn't be. You're supposed to love each other."

Edward doesn't answer that, and he sighs tiredly to allow the blood red to evacuate the contours of his eyes. Louis finds the sight fascinating and traces the slightly watery rim with his thumb. 

Harry exits the bathroom and Edward kisses Louis' cheek once slowly before getting up off the bed. Once he's gone, Louis is conflicted again. Harry doesn't look like he did anything constructive in the bathroom as he's wearing what he went in with. 

"Don't apologise for him." Harry says to Louis when he steps close to him. 

"I was going to apologise for me." Louis replies. 

"What did you do?" The Alpha's eyes immediately dart towards the bed where the youngest triplet is passed out, glad to not pick up any intimate pheromones. 

"I can sense that you're angry."

"Not with you, though I should be."

Louis' head tilts to the side and Harry wants to just pin this embodiment of purity with an especially sweet scent to a nearby wall for ravishing. He tightens his fists and controls himself. 

"Your heat is close." Harry grits. 

The Omega's face turns bright pink and he hugs himself. "It should start tomorrow or-or even today."

Harry's inner Alpha lights up and red melts into his eyes, sparkling with wolf's lust. 

"I am going to make breakfast." Louis proposes.

"You don't have to." Harry grabs Louis' wrist as an excuse to hold him. "Don't."

"I have to." Louis, the naïve but good-natured Omega, smiles reassuringly and steps up to kiss Harry's cheek. 

Nobody's initiated anything with Harry, voluntarily kissed him or marked their own deaths by picking a fight with him. Harry liked that Louis wasn't scared of him. 

Louis makes his way downstairs and notices that the snow's just started sticking to the ground outside. He's so thankful for heating systems. 

The atmosphere is buzzed and calm because it's such an early hour on such a big day - the second challenge has been built up to almost regal standards with its conditions. Louis pads around downstairs alone barefoot because his own clothing was still in his hostel. He would bring them over but an Omega can't just make that decision, and he's beginning to feel the symptoms of his heat. 

Making breakfast for three fully grown Alphas is a task to contend with, and Louis will attest to that. He uses all the sausages left in the fridge - about thirteen - with about a dozen eggs and a whole pack of twenty bacon strips. The coffee was easier to make because all he had to do was fill the coffee machine and prep three mugs. 

Just when he's about put slices of bread into the sausage and bacon fat frying pan, Harry comes downstairs fully dressed. Louis looks up, stopped the humming he didn't realise he doing, and smiled softly. 

"Where did you learn to cook like this?" The gruff Alpha observes how Louis fries the toast and packs their plates methodically. 

"I taught myself." Louis blushes from pride and happiness. 

Harry looks pained just being this far away from the beautiful little Omega with ocean eyes and a button nose. His bushy eyebrows are knitted together as he leans against the wooden counter and admires every feature of Louis' petite body moving around. 

Edward's about to do what a consciously sleepy Marcel is about to as well when they reach the top of the stairs, ready to descend. He stops when he hears Harry's pathetic conversation with Louis and physically holds Marcel back from tumbling downstairs. 

"I'm hungry." Marcel hisses at him, pushing his hair out of his eyes.

"Shut it. Harry's bantering." 

Edward listens closely for anything more, knowing that Harry's hardly ever _wanted_ to communicate with a worthy mate before so he must be struggling. 

In the kitchen, Harry grinds his jaw at the voices of his brothers and gets directed towards a chair by Louis. 

"Sit." Louis puts a plate in front of him. "Eat."

Harry's pleasantly shocked by this Omega's ability to give orders. To an _Alpha_. "How's your leg?"

Louis seems to have forgotten that his calf was ever injured by Harry's jagged teeth, and shrugs when their shapeshifter pet perches itself on his shoulder. It's a black and grey ferret again. 

"I'm fine." The Omega replies, pouring a cup of herbal tea for himself. 

"Are you fully healed?" Harry _hears_ Edward's exasperated sigh. 

"Yes. I've always been able to heal quickly."

"Just you?"

Louis nods. "It's what set me apart mostly."

Harry gives up on this sinking conversation before he goes down with the vessel. When his brothers don't come running down at the smell of Louis' food, he thinks they're giving him another chance. This should be Marcel suffering to have a decent conversation with someone beautiful and intelligent, not Harry. 

"You're not hungry?" Louis returned with his hot mug and a saddened look in his mesmerising eyes. 

The Alpha realises he hasn't touched his breakfast yet. He shakes his head and reassures Louis with a smile. "I was thinking?"

"About what?" Omegas are naturally curious, and when Louis came around the table to settle in Harry's lap it didn't surprise the Alpha at all. 

Harry had to eat around Louis but that was perfectly okay. He always had a hand on the fidgety Omega's hip, rubbing when he behaved and pinching when he shifted too much. 

"You forgave me so quickly for this." Harry traced the contours of the minimally scarred tissue on Louis' leg. 

Louis was sipping his tea and had his head on Harry's shoulder. "You never said it but I knew you were sorry for hurting me."

"You would allow me to make another mark?"

"One that would tie us together." Louis looks at his lap. "If you have second thoughts, Alpha, I won't-"

"Hush, my sweet." Harry chuckles, directing Louis' gaze back towards him. "There is no doubt."

"Okay." Louis blushes, arm caught in Harry's and their foreheads supporting the other. "Have fun today."

Harry laughs, his cheeks dimpling and forehead creasing. "Aren't you afraid the challenge is too great for me?"

"No. I know that you will do anything to come back." Louis kisses Harry's jaw and keeps his lips there when the wolf goes stiff. 

"You're right."

"I know."

Marcel and Edward lose hope at that point and rush downstairs where the food awaits. Louis gets spooked by their sudden loud arrival and Harry whispers sweet things in his ear to calm him down. The Omega settles once again and burrows into Harry's solid chest. 

"You're a bad cuddler." Louis puts his hand on Harry's cheek and turns his gaze towards him. 

"He is." Marcel sits at the table with his plate of food and mug of coffee. "It's like sleeping on a wooden plank."

"With all the splinters and pricks to go with it." Edward joins them at the table with a wide grin and discreet wink to his brother. 

"Don't be mean to him." Louis defends passionately, straightening his back and feeling Harry's arms restrict his middle. 

Edward and Marcel coo like idiots, in Harry's unbiased opinion. "Your cooking is incredible, Lou."

"Thank you but it's only breakfast." The Omega replies with a yawn.

"You need to sleep today." Edward tells him. 

"I will."

"Don't let Marcel talk you out of it."

Edward manages to make his youngest brother blush and Louis giggle with that one statement. Harry pulls Louis back and presses a firm kiss to the Omega's sensitive neck. Louis whines when the cold press of Harry's teeth gets too uncomfortable for him. 

Harry's very possessive and it isn't over much, as he hasn't desired many things in his life. His brothers are silently aware that although Louis treats them equally and belongs to them all now, there's a special bond between Harry and Louis that they can't touch. 

An hour later into their morning, Marcel had the TV switched on highlighting all that had happened at yesterday's Games plus what is to be anticipated with today's. Louis actively avoided the screen while he cleaned up the kitchen or fed Hercules. 

"You don't have to worry about them." Marcel is biting his lip and watching Louis feed their pet. 

"I know but I can't help it." 

"I understand." Marcel nods solemnly. "Sometimes I just want them to stay indoors where there's no danger."

"They can forfeit these Games. Things have gone horribly wrong before."

"Harry's pride will never allow it."

"Be safe." Louis tells Edward when they are about to leave into the snowy grounds. 

"Like always, little dove." Edward gave Louis an extra long hug and kissed his forehead. "Take care of my brother."

"I'm right here, you oaf." Marcel snaps at the Alpha. 

"That's exactly why I said it."

"Today's going to be cold." Harry warns Louis, arms wound around the Omega's wide hips. "Stay close to Marcel."

"Why?"

"He's Alpha. He has a body temperature of over a hundred degrees."

Louis puts his hand on Harry's cheek and caresses the stubbly jaw. "Don't worry about me while you're out there."

Harry was doing just that, yet he can't find it in him to be surprised that Louis picked up on it. "Your heat is close, of course I will worry."

"No." The Omega shakes his head. "I'll be here when you come back, I promise."

"I want to ask you this, out of tradition."

"Ask me what?"

"I want to mate you during this heat. I want to make you ours, mine. Do I have your permission?"

Louis presses his lips to Harry's quickly. "You have my permission."

"I'll keep him safe." Marcel has to interrupt due to time, and gives his word. "Go now and come back."

"I think they're broadcasting today's challenge." Edward rolls his eyes. "Make sure to watch us win."

"Don't hurt anyone who doesn't deserve it." Louis' frown is too cute to be serious. 

Harry nods but knows he's lying and Edward chuckles, blatantly shrugging that suggestion off.

  
* * * * *  


As surprising as it is for anyone to believe, Louis and Marcel had the live broadcasting on but played boardgames together all day. The red-faced, brunette presenter was overly enthusiastic and Louis often giggled at her funny words. 

They played two rounds of Scrabble and Louis won the first one, Marcel the second. 

"At least they have high odds." Marcel comments about his brothers who are away. 

Louis lay between his legs, sometimes wiping sweat from his brow or fidgeting from discomfort, with a blanket thrown over both of them. Marcel is hands down the best cuddler of them all but he didn't touch Louis in regions too low. 

"You don't have to be shy, Alpha." Louis turned around and pressed himself against Marcel, taking his cigarette away. 

"I'm not shy." Marcel makes a point of squeezing Louis' bum under the quilt. 

The Omega squeals and laughs breathlessly when their limbs get tangled together. The knead had driven a pleasurable spike up his nervous system and when Marcel does it again, he moans involuntarily. 

"My lovely little Omega." Marcel kicks the comforter off and provides warmth for Louis all by himself. 

They kiss lazily, dreamily, for several mminutes. Marcel notices how much Louis tries to get his hands on him, feel and enjoy his body. He tries to squash his nerves and just focus on the Omega boy who wants all his attention this instant. 

"Told you you're nervous." Louis giggles, bottom lip bitten by Marcel's sharper canines.

The Alpha is struck dumb when Louis gets up, turns the TV off and wandered into the kitchen. Such a tease. 

"What do you want for lunch?" 

Marcel's eyes followed the Omega and he thought about why his scent smelt so prominent today. He's got more than a little inflation in his pants right now and Louis is to blame entirely. 

"Anything." He replies cautiously. 

Louis cracked an amused smile and started making them something over the stove. Marcel got up and physically put himself behind the Omega, hearing his gasp and smirking into his neck. His crotch is pressed against Louis' behind and Louis tries to not feel guilty. 

"You smell lovely, Lou." Even with obvious discomfort and tightness in his underwear, Marcel compliments Louis with a strained voice. 

"Th-Thank you." Louis isn't sexually advanced so he turns around in the Alpha's arms and pulls him down closer. _"Alpha."_

And Marcel needed no more coaxing. The dining room table was not safe anymore and Louis was boneless after their love-making session. Marcel always called it love-making, because he always went slow and made sure they kissed as much as possible. 

"They're bad for your lungs." Louis contradicts himself by leaning forward and lighting the end of Marcel's new cigarette. 

"I'm Alpha." Marcel smirks, making him look a lot more like Edward with emerald eyes. "Nothing is bad for my lungs."

They'd broken the magnificent centrepiece that Louis will soon mourn for, and now Marcel's knot is tugging at the Omega's inner warmth greedily. Louis had removed the hair band that kept Marcel's hair away from his face, and tugged harshly on those damp curls as he rode the Alpha earnestly. Marcel was breathless and held on tightly, slipping the band around Louis' neck using it as a kind of leash. 

"Hey." Marcel didn't understand how Louis was still sweating, his body still producing slick around his knot. "Alright there, Lou?"

Louis bit his lip and wriggled a bit, digging his nails into Marcel's bicep. He feels a big wave of arousal come over him, making him sweat even more. His hair was dampening and his body was tightening. 

"Oh fuck." Marcel sits up, clammy skin sticking to the table's varnish. "Your heat."

Louis can only nod mindlessly and mewl helplessly. He has a knot in him but his body's not registering it, making him feel the feigned absence of one even more.

"Shh, pumpkin." Marcel smothers Louis with kisses and rubs his arms, sides and thumbs away the desperate tears on his cheeks. "I'll take care of you, sweetness. Have to let this one go down first, okay?"

 _"Alpha!"_ Louis scratches Marcel's shoulderblades and whimpers at a flushed feeling of being filled, but his body's not taking it. "Please please-"

"I've got you, Lou." Marcel wipes away the sweat and kisses his pouted lips. "You're such a good boy, Lou. Best Omega ever."

Louis finds the strength to giggle and sighs happily when Marcel's knot finally deflates. He doesn't give Marcel a chance to move them and slots their lips together as he starts to buck his hips again. His desperation has gone to whole new levels, but the Alpha knows on a dining room table isn't the best place for this. 

"Slow down, pumpkin. Let's get you upstairs, alright?"

The Omega is initially opposed to the horrible idea but the trip is short and as soon as they're inside the bedroom, he's pinned the closed door and ravaged with deep thrusts and sharp teeth. His nails dig into Marcel's back and he screams to whatever God there is for him to get the Alpha's knot _now_.

"Harry told me before he left-" Marcel lays Louis down delicately on the bed and slides back into the clenching tightness, speeding up his jerking thrusts. "--to bond with you if your heat came."

Louis' mewl is high-pitched and he bares his neck at the thought of carrying a symbolic mark around where everyone can see. He clings to Marcel as he comes onto his chest, squeezing mercifully to get Marcel's knot. The inflated girth catches on his rim and he writhes in pleasant agony, pinning himself down and gasping whenever all the right pressure points were targeted. 

It's a moment of sharp clarity before Marcel's teeth sink into a painfully soft part of his throat, extracting little blood and laying claim. Afterwards it's blurry and Louis can't find an ounce of energy in his system. Marcel's knot pumps copious amounts of come into him, now wanting to impregnate his _mate_ rather than just end at satisfying him. 

"Sleep, pumpkin spice." Marcel kisses Louis' cheek. "You'll need it."

Marcel arranges them into a spooning position and falls asleep with his nose buried in Louis' hair. He's smiling like a goofy idiot when it dawns on him that this extraordinary little Omega is now _his_ to cherish and shower with love for the rest of his life. 

Louis sleeps for forty minutes before he wakes up with a hazy, one-track mind and straddles Marcel's lap again. The Alpha is roused from his sleep when he feels himself slipping into the familiar heat he enjoys so much, and his inner Alpha flares to life. He isn't commanding in bed, but he does have a rough nature and makes Louis scream more than a few times from his indelicate treatment. 

"My lovely mate." Marcel kisses Louis' nose and the Omega smiles tiredly at him. 

"I'm yours now." 

Marcel tries to be like Edward and scoffs. "You were always mine."

"Don't be proud." Louis scolds but it's lighthearted. "It doesn't suit you."

"What suits me then?"

Louis closes his eyes and whimpers at the tug on his insides when Marcel's knot shifts inside him. "Cigarettes and boardgames."

Chuckling, Marcel plants a wet kiss to Louis' new mate mark. "Go to sleep. I'm here."

Louis' body hardly holds off for thirty minutes before he's awake and gagging for it again. His Omega body knows he needs the two missing Alphas to close the bond and his instincts are to get them here. He misses Edward and Harry and he upsets himself over the fact that they're not here. 

"Pumpkin, are you hurt? Did I do something wrong?" Marcel is once again locked to Louis but he'll do anything in the world to get the Omega smiling again. 

"N-No." Louis replies shakily. "N-Not you."

"No? What's wrong then, love?"

Louis can't get the awful feeling put into words but he knows it's torturous on his susceptible Omega body. In the arena that's such a distance away with so many ferocious barriers between them, Harry feels a tug on his ribcage and Edward's wolf howls into the black air. With a sadistic tilted smirk, Harry feels a third of the bond snap into place. 

Sating Louis' heat even momentarily is not easy. Marcel has to force him to sleep so his body doesn't grow to be exhausted and malnourished. He discovers that Louis likes when he rubs his sides or kisses behind his ear. 

"You need to eat, Lou." Marcel had no choice but to make microwaveable macaroni and cheese. He needed to get food in the drowsy Omega's system. 

Louis eats half the bowl and falls asleep after earning the Alpha's knot one more time. It's almost three in the afternoon and Marcel stays awake like a paranoid Alpha, tracing the bite on Louis' neck and inhaling the altered scent.

  
* * * * *  


Harry's wolf gets him home faster than any moving vehicle can, and he bursts through the cabin's front door with Edward right behind him. Their lust has blown their pupils to black, dangerous orbs and uncertain rumbling in their chests. They can smell the sex, their sweet Omega's body drenched in sweat and slick upstairs. 

"Marcel the bastard." Edward growls.

"Go take care of Louis." Harry pushes Edward forward. "He's awake."

As much as it was Louis' first heat with Alphas, they had to also leave their marks on him which meant no double-teaming. Louis' body can't handle too much during one heat. 

Edward follows the smell upstairs and pushes the bedroom door open slowly. His scent must have gotten Louis' heightened senses first because the Omega is twisted in the sheets and whimpering like a caged bird. 

"Hey there, little dove." He pulls the covers back, drowning Marcel in them who is still fast asleep. 

Louis' eyes are unfocused but he grabs Edward in every way he can when the Alpha is close enough. He bares his neck and Edward starts a trail of kisses down the milky length, leaving Louis out of air. He nips at Marcel's neat bite and Louis gasps, skin flushed down to his tummy. 

"I've got you, Lou." Edward assures him. 

"P-Please." Louis is hauled onto Edward's lap and he paws at all the horrific clothing that he's got on. 

"Alright, impatient love." Edward chuckles at him and captures his wrists, kissing the quick pulse and throwing those arms over his shoulders. 

Edward's less gentle than Marcel, but he takes care of Louis' desperate heat all the same. He kisses the shuddering Omega at all the sensitive points, choosing where to sink his teeth in. Louis' little fingers flex in his hair, on his shoulders, drowning in the unfamiliar abyss of Edward's harmful gaze. 

Louis' heat is demanding and while Edward has more strength and stamina than Marcel, he won't ever hurt their stunning dainty Omega. He sinks into the slick warmth without interruption, groaning when he bottoms out in the clenching glory. Louis' head is thrown back over the pillow, nails making indents in Edward's skin and words coming out in a jumble. 

"You smell fucking incredible, little dove." Edward runs the tip of his nose along Louis' jaw and makes the Omega whine when he bites the skin there. 

Edward thrusts slowly, making all of Louis' special hidden sweet spots get a bit of attention. He feels Louis' body shake against him and he spreads Louis' legs to move faster. 

Louis comes a total of three times, and with one last hard thrust that makes him quiver and cry out, Edward's teeth close in on the other side of Louis' neck. It bleeds onto the pillow until Edward licks over the wound, sealing it and letting his knot pop into place between them. 

"There, there little dove." Louis has to get used to Edward's new knot, and he huffs tiredly at how dirty he feels. 

"Hi." The Omega's mind has cleared somewhat and he pulls the covers up over them for warmth. 

"Hello, Lou." Edward whispers against his bite, proud of how less civil it looks next to Marcel's. 

"Did you win?" Louis combs Edward's hair with his fingers. 

"We don't know. As soon as we knew Marcel bonded you, we had to get back here."

"How'd you know?"

Edward kisses him, laughing into the kiss with Louis. "We felt it."

"Where's Harry?"

"Downstairs. You won't have to miss him for long."

But Edward was wrong. So wrong. 

Louis woke up thirty minutes later and Edward's knot had gone down enough for him to slide off. His legs were jelly and heart sunk rapidly at the sight of a Harry-less bedroom. The marks on his neck were tender and delicate, even when he touched them they made him hiss. He was eager to have Harry's but he couldn't say it in so many words just yet. 

Harry is downstairs in the guest bedroom with a locked door. He's kept himself down here because he knows going upstairs would mean knotting and mating Louis. If he did that, he'd be breaking tradition. He'd forgotten all about the rules of being pack leader when he met Louis, but now when he's about to take a leap forward they're keeping him back. 

He hears Louis' whine from above, it's muted and addressed specifically to him. He feels pity for the Omega who is completely dependant on them during this time, but he has a duty and he just has to put up with the flame in his chest. He will mate Louis after he's met the pack and gotten their blessings. 

He stands close to the window, the chilly air biting his bare arms, and curses himself repeatedly for being a bad Alpha. He never cared before but what if he just took Louis and they were separated later because of disregard to tradition? He'd rather lose an arm or both of them than that. 

Light footsteps are descending this staircase and Harry hears scraping wood like soft little paws trying not to fall. Louis' probably in his wolf form where he's stronger even during heat. Harry bites his cheek until the metal taste of blood floods his mouth.   
The last straw really comes when that scratching is taken up on his door, along with pathetic whining. Harry gives up then and goes to the door, yanking it open and breaking the lock. 

"Harry." Louis collapses against him, naked and tired in his human form. 

"Lou-" Harry picks him up and cradles him to his chest, holding his breath to keep the temptation out. "-why did you come here?"

"You-You owe me something." 

Louis tries to show Harry the other two bond marks. Maybe Harry forgot and just needs to see to remember. His body isn't strong enough and his neck drops back in a quick snap. 

"Lou?!" Harry supports the back of his head and panics. "My sweet, look at me."

There's no warning before both Marcel and Edward appear at his door, death in their stare and worry evident in their expressions. Louis' their mate now, up until Harry can handle the pack meeting Louis. 

"What did you do?" For the first time Marcel looks dangerous when he rushes to Louis and takes him from Harry. 

"Harry?" Edward waits for an explanation while his brother watches longingly as Louis is taken back upstairs. 

"I can't bond him yet." He says, standing up and wanting to follow. 

Edward stops him. "What?"

"I can't mark him, Edward. I have to introduce him to Father and the pack first."

 _"Fuck."_ Edward tugs on his own hair. "He needs you, Harry. More than he needs either of us."

"I can't explain this to him until after his heat."

"Yeah. Fuck, I know." Edward chews his lip for a minute. "The Games could take months to complete, Harry."

"We forfeit then."

"If Marcel agrees then we will. We'll go back home with him." Edward nods and exhales sourly as the smell of arousal permeates through the air again. "I'm sorry, Harry."

Harry says nothing to him and closes the bedroom door again in his face, feeling miserable after a long time of being numb. He climbs out the window and spends the next hour running in his wolf form. Running until every muscle spasmed from too much exertion, until the cold got past his fur and he began to feel that rather than what a horrible Alpha he is. 

Edward goes back up to the bedroom, feeling remorse and guilt flood his mind from the bond he always had with his brothers. He hears Harry's howl from miles away and Louis' sniffling from just a few feet ahead. 

"Is he okay?" Edward kneels by Louis' side and presses his forehead to the Omega's. 

Louis' body is fooled and he grabs Edward's two fingers in his sleep, only to realise it isn't Harry's and release them again. Marcel tries not to jostle him as his knot is fresh and tying them together. 

Marcel rubs Louis' hip with his thumb. "I can feel his pain."

"I know." Edward keeps Louis warm with his arms locked around him. "I feel even worse for our brother."

"Yeah. He's never really cared so Louis must mean the make or break of his sanity."

"I pity him. His arrogance got him this far."

"It isn't his fault, Edward. You know how Father's treated him."

"He's a grown man, Marcel, and here he is forfeiting what truly makes him happy for that wretched man."

  
* * * * *  


Word of the Styles house forfeiture spread rapidly to every dorm and hostel, but nobody knew why because the werewolf pack was so far ahead. They had the victory in their hands. 

Louis' heat lasted forty-five hours and during that time Harry had not laid a hand on him, although the Omega would beg for it in his nightly prayers. Harry returned to the cabin once the heat was over and Edward came to summon him. 

"Is he alright?" Was Harry's first question. 

"Come see for yourself."

Marcel spent the day speaking with the Dean and Edward made himself scarce for a few hours. Harry curled his fists and opened the front door, growling hungrily when the aroma of a past heat hit him full force. Louis was upstairs and Harry could smell the missing chunk of the Omega's bond on him, and it made his inner Alpha very agitated. 

Louis exited the bathroom fully dressed in leggings and Marcel's shirt - the youngest triplet wore the softest clothing. He paused at the top of the top of the staircase and turned to look at an unsure Alpha at the base of the structure. 

"Louis?" 

Harry need not say anything more because seconds later he had his favourite person in the world wrapped around him. He held on tightly, feeling warm tears on his shoulder and the uneven skin where his brothers had bonded Louis. 

"Louis." Harry drew back and cupped either side of Louis' face, staring into the magnificent blue of his eyes. "My angel."

Louis' eyes dry with Harry's thumbs and the Omega smiles shakily, whining softly and leaning closer to him. His small hands come up to Harry's neck, sniffling and holding their faces close. 

"Why can't I see past you?" Harry kisses him fiercely on the lips, leaving them red and swollen. 

"You're not meant to, silly." Louis brings himself closer, legs dangling off Harry's sides and fingers tangled in the silky locks of brown hair. "You're meant to be mine."

Harry groans from deprivation and meaninglessly bites where Marcel's mark is, making Louis shudder and go pliant. "Just a little while, sweet. Wait for me to clear things back home and you're all mine."

Louis crosses his ankles. "Why didn't you tell me before?"

"I wasn't going to abide by the rules before but if I don't, they could take you away from us."

"Still." Louis pouts stubbornly, finger buds soothing the scratchy skin of Harry's jaw. "I missed you."

"You're the first." 

Louis gives Harry a sad smile and kisses his slightly bloody lips. He licks over the small cut in the middle of Harry's bottom lip and tastes blood. Harry pulls him back. 

"Whatever wrote our destinies, tied us together for every lifetime to come our way."

**_[A/N: Okay so I have some news! Bad news, I'm afraid. By 2016 I won't be writing any new stories, so this and Animal will be my last works for a while. This is a very, very stressful year for me at school and I jump right into uni soon so I won't have much free time. Plus, my eyesight's buggered bc of too much phone contact (I write on my phone) so the updates will be irregular. I'm so sorry, and I owe you all an incredible amount of thanks bc 600+ followers on Wattpad, 5k on Twitter, and a whole lot more on AO3 are things I'll never forget. I love u all, so much :) - Suman x]_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave comments and kudos because they never fail to make me smile on the worst days :) feel free to ask any question and I will reply to them all - S xx


	7. VII

**_[A/N: So everybody got emo bc of the last chapter and I wasn't alone? Yay :'( To settle all doubt, both Animal and GNA will be completed before the end of this year :)]_ **

The day they were scheduled to leave, was two days after the second challenge. They didn't want to travel with Louis' post-heat scent still so evident in the air around him.   
The triplets refused to accept any kind of reward for mere participation from the Dean, claiming that it would be a greater evil towards their ego. 

Louis didn't think throwing his life into a suitcase would be such a difficulty. He was called to each class on his last day to say goodbye and be glared at by other students. Why did _he_ get to leave early?  
The rest of the day was spent packing his stuff from the hostel with Niall and Alyx. 

"Can I come with you?" Niall has been trying to fit himself into Louis' suitcase all this time. 

Hercules has been very helpful - and somewhat more reliable than his human friends - as it sits beside a suitcase as a lemur, putting the necessary stuff into it neatly. 

"Then where will my clothes go, Ni?" Louis laughs and tosses more of his small, inexpensive clothing at him.

"Who needs clothes?" 

"You certainly won't." Alyx does a creepy eyebrow waggle that makes Louis blush and a little uncomfortable. 

"I'm more than a sexual object." Louis defends his chastity - or what's left of the physical kind. 

"Of course not Lou, but just not at night and early morning hours." Niall points to the skies. "You know how horny werewolves are."

"Niall!" 

"What?" 

"You're scaring him." Alyx pushes Niall lightly. "Can we visit you there, Lou?"

"I don't think it will be a problem but werewolves are very cautious." Louis folds some of his joggers. "I will ask."

The triplets had a driver - how unnecessary - make his way down from Nova Scotia and come get Louis' stuff first from the hostel. There are three consecutive knocks on their dorm room and Alyx opens it to reveal a no-nonsense looking Alpha in a black suit. 

"Hi." She greets him. 

He looks over her to Louis then Niall. "Tomlinson?"

"Call me Louis." The Omega brings his biggest bag forth with a humble smile and pulls his baggy sleeves past his elbows. "Your name?"

"Liam. Liam Payne." 

"I'm Niall!" Louis' friend calls from behind him. 

"Is this all?" Liam asks about the bags. 

"Yeah. Um....thank you." 

Liam nods curtly and exits the room. Louis leaves just one bag for him to carry on the way down, after Niall squeezed past him to chase after Liam. 

"Poor Niall." Alyx shakes her head in amusement. "Poor you."

"Hey." Louis sticks his bottom lip out. "Hercules!"

The lemur moulds into a serpent of arm's length in mid-air, and wraps itself around Louis' arm. 

"Actually-" Her expression freezes as Louis' does when they step outside into the snow. "-poor _me_."

Niall's pushy efforts have not been proven fruitless apparently, as he is being crowded up against the side of the car by Liam Payne. Louis bites his lip and looks away so he doesn't have a visual reason to laugh. Alyx is pouting and Louis nearly drops his bag. 

"Give them a minute." He turns his back on Niall and Liam. 

"I wanna see!" Alyx cranes her neck over Louis' head to watch closely. "They're kissing."

"Really?"

"No." 

"Then what are they doing?"

"Nothing. Niall's coming this way."

After long farewells and no tears from anyone but Niall - Louis suspects that he will miss Liam more than him - Louis gets into the Cadillac Escalade. He ordinarily loves being short but having to climb into a seat isn't ideal anywhere. 

"If we can visit, we will." Niall promises. 

"Yes and if anyone gives you a hard time, you're always welcome back home." Alyx adds kindly. 

The drive off campus grounds to where the residential cabins are lasts about three to four minutes. Inside the SUV the heat is toasty and maybe the triplets will understand if he didn't get out.

The front door is wide open and the first one out is Marcel, who seems to know exactly where Louis is because he smiles at the awaiting vehicle like the sun's finally come out. The youngest Styles triplet is wearing jeans and a bulky jacket. He looks positively adorable.   
Louis opens his door and steps down without hesitation - but some struggle that leads to him just jumping with his feet planted in the snow. 

"I could get used to smelling you from so far away." The Alpha's smile extends into a grin as he comes around the side after dumping his bags in the back. 

"I wish my nose was as strong." Louis stretches all he can, up on his tiptoes, and bracing his arms around Marcel's neck. 

Marcel dips low enough to kiss Louis' cold lips and his chest creates little protective vibrations. His Omega shouldn't be cold at all because cold is unhappy and that's unacceptable. Louis giggles unabashedly against his lips when Marcel hoists him up into the air. 

"If you hurt him I'll be forced to skin you, Marcel." Edward jogs down the front steps to join them. 

Louis has made it onto Marcel's back, holding on like a spidermonkey while the Alpha kept a grip under his thighs. 

"Hi." Louis smiles in greeting to the other Alpha and gets a soft kiss in response. 

"Hello, little dove." Edward kisses his neck where his own bond mark is and smirks when a little shiver runs down Louis' back. "How are you?"

In spite of Louis' need to answer the question, Marcel is carrying him away on piggyback up the shovelled path to the cabin again. Louis buries his face in the soft Alpha's neck when the cold air whips around them, making Marcel tighten his grip and radiate body warmth for Louis. 

"Alpha?" Louis swings his short legs back and forth when he's set down on the kitchen's countertop. 

"Yes, pumpkin?" Marcel is emptying the fridge of Monster and handing each one to Louis to pack into a cooler bag. 

"Is it nice in Nova Scotia?" 

"That depends."

Louis looks expectantly up at Marcel who turns around with the final two cans. The Omega takes a moment to realise that Hercules isn't with him right now, but he knows he's close by. 

"It's warmer than here but there are lots of mountains." Marcel frowns at something he saw in his mind. "I will show you around town personally after you're settled in."

Nodding subtly to himself, Louis hops down from the counter when a new scent enters the kitchen. He can't smell anything really from quite a distance, but he knows these three scents better than his own. 

"Harry, your stuff's in the car but I think Edward forgot some things." Marcel takes the bag from Louis' shoulder, kisses his forehead - he's the most sappy - and leaves. 

"Goodmorning." Louis jumps from being spooked when a gruff voice spoke into his ear, sending warm shivers down his spine. 

"H-Hi." He turns around to face Harry, having to peer up into those twisted mismatched eyes that he cares for so much. 

"Did I scare you?" Harry's smirking and Louis forgets to breathe for a moment or three. This is the most amount of life he's seen in Harry since their first bitter-sweet encounter. 

"You could never." 

Raising his eyebrow - there goes Louis' air supply again - Harry swoops down to capture the sweet Omega's lips with his own. Louis' fingers reach out in a reflex to curl around the lapels of his raincoat, mewling when Harry licks into his mouth and steals his essence only to leave traces of his own behind. 

"Let's go finish what they couldn't." It sounds more suggestive to Louis' erratic heartbeat, unsteady pulse and inelastic libido, but he's quickly shot down. 

Releasing an embarrassing squeal when Harry bends to pick him up, Louis has the wind knocked out of him in the least romantic way. Harry lays him over his right shoulder, his broad arm curled around his waist just to make sure he's safe from falling. 

"Harry!" Louis gasps, terrified when the ground gets too close to his face. 

Suddenly he's lifted some more and he gets the full effect of Harry's monstrous height. He doesn't understand how the Alpha can stand being this tall. 

"That's Alpha to you, sweetheart." Harry drums his fingers on Louis' bum and ascends the staircase. 

Alright then. "You're so tall, Alpha."

"Thank you, love." Harry is laughing softly, breathily, and shaking his head. 

"I like it a whole lot better when I'm on the ground."

"Do you now?" Harry is walking between the barren closet and dreary bathroom, gathering what belongings have remained. 

"Yes please."

"Too bad."

Louis whines and tries propping himself up on Harry's shoulders with his elbows. It works until the Alpha notices and swats his behind. 

"You and your brothers seem to have a fixation when it comes to carrying me." Louis fists the back of Harry's jacket so he doesn't slip. 

As if Harry's ever going to let that happen. 

"If I recall correctly-" Harry tosses things into a duffel bag that Louis could fit into comfortably. "-I started that trend."

"So I have you to blame."

"For never needing to walk, yes."

"I quite like walking."

A cold rush passes him when he falls backwards. Harry drops Louis onto the bed, biting his lip at the way he sinks into the mattress just a little like he weighs no more than a delicate petal. Before the Omega can commit a crime like sit up Harry crawls over him, hiking his delicious thighs up on his waist as he goes. 

"Don't you prefer this?" Harry's staring at him, burning Louis' last hints of nervousness with the fire behind his mask. 

Louis smiles shyly, cheeks tinting his favourite shade of pink, and cups both sides of Harry's face. He kisses the Alpha's nose, corner of his mouth and cheek where the dimples set in when he - like when a blue moon rose - smiled. 

"Smile." Louis rubbed small circles on his jaw, coaxing a reaction. 

Harry just growled and Louis felt it come off him in hot waves of spiked emotion. He wasn't sure what kind of emotion yet. 

"Please?" 

The Alpha frowned for a moment, not understanding why his Omega was asking this of him. Louis didn't pity him but it tore at his heart like shards of glass that this was _difficult_ for him. A smile spoke a thousand words about a person, yet Harry didn't seem to have one and that said a million different things. 

Louis feels very guilty and shakes his head to tell Harry forget it, before leaning in close and meeting his lips. Harry's lips are moist and always so forceful in their kisses, pressing groans and approving noises to Louis' tongue. After a while he felt Harry's lips curve upward and Louis' did too. He felt the smile and didn't get to see it, but that's enough.

  
* * * * *  


"The drive's about six hours." Edward just finished talking to Liam and when he stepped out, immediately got to Louis' side. 

Odd, Louis supposes. He still let Edward kiss their bond mark on his throat. It was still very sensitive because the Alpha has close to no sense of neatness about something as important as this. 

"Are you hungry?" Harry asks Louis directly, standing like a midnight stranger against the vehicle. 

It stung a special spot in Harry's chest cavity that he had to _ask_ and not just know his to-be mate's physical state like Marcel and Edward already do. Bless his brothers for not pointing that out, and letting Louis shake his head. 

"I'm okay." Louis is sitting in Cadillac's risen back seat with his door open and Edward holding his hand inside the pocket of his jacket.   
While there was no direct link between Louis and Harry, the other two triplets knew exactly when Louis was feeding them lies. Thankfully, he wasn't lying now. 

"Let's go before the Dean decides to ask for something." Marcel sighs and jerks his chin towards the car's innards, getting Louis to scoot over. 

Harry gets in opposite to them with Edward beside him, and Louis thinks they look like cage wrestlers stuck in a really small cage. He bites his lip just to keep his giggle swallowed. 

The first leg of the journey - it's a true adventure for Louis as he's travelling beyond the city's borders - took them away from urban life into the fields and farms. He had his eyes glued out the window and failed to feel the separation or longing that most people departing from somewhere they've been their whole lives feel.   
He misses Niall and Alyx already though, they were very dear to him, but his duty lies elsewhere now. It's not even a duty or _responsibility_ of sorts, he undoubtedly wants to be where he's going. 

Louis' never had a phone - not that he's ever needed one - so when all three Alpha triplets produce three of the latest cellular devices, he doesn't really take notice. 

Harry's is jet black and the cover shines like someone spends all day polishing it, his is the largest and just makes it to get an inch longer than his hand.   
Edward's is silver like the waxed rims and has a little bitten apple on the back cover. It could be made of glass because it's slightly curved in shape.   
Marcel's is Louis' favourite, if he had to choose, because it's glistening red like the apple Snow White had bitten and had the feature of leap motion. His icons and apps opened up into the air above the device, like floating images. 

"Are you ignoring him?" Edward suddenly asks Harry, angling his phone screen towards him. 

"Yes." Harry curts. 

"He's calling me now." Edward groans loudly, attracting Louis' attention away from the outside scenery. 

Louis doesn't have to verbally ask any questions, because his confused light frown speaks for him. 

It's Marcel who answers however, sounding unsurprised and bored. "Father is calling them."

"Why doesn't he call you?" Louis asks ignorantly. 

"I built this phone." The Alpha glances up with a proud grin. "He is not aware of that."

"Marcel lied to our father." Edward glares at his triplet. "Be not fooled by his cherubic face."

The youngest triplet has already pulled himself out of that conversation and mildly pouts at his brother's poke at him. While their phones buzz violently, Marcel shows Louis how to use his groundbreaking device. 

"How long did you work on this?" Louis feels a little extra heat amidst the phone's displayed functions, and draws out a little cube. 

"Since I was fifteen." Marcel taps the cube's side and it splits into a camera with multiple filters. 

Louis marvels at this invention. "When did you complete it?"

"Last year." Marcel seems still tired from all that work. 

"That's incredible."

"I bet you're proud of me." 

"You should be proud of yourself."

Marcel smiles at him. "Thank you, pumpkin."

"Marcel!" Edward roars. 

"What do you want, brother?" 

"Talk to him." Edward holds out his phone. 

"Why would he be calling?"

"Because we never told him we're forfeiting, and the Dean must have told him by now."

"Will he give us a hard time?"

Louis catches Harry's amusement catch alight in his eyes and blushes when the impassive Alpha winks at him. 

"It was our choice to participate. I don't think he will." Edward replies coolly. 

"Harry's our leader. Make him talk."

"You both know I don't talk to Father unless the situation absolutely calls for it." Harry shuts them both down with a strange Alpha timbre in his voice that makes Louis shudder. "I await the day we come to him bleeding out."

Louis gasps. "You don't mean that."

"He does." Marcel confirms. 

They decide to stop the car and all get out because the weather is comfortably warm here. Marcel took Edward's phone and went off with Harry to talk to their disappointed, yelling old man. 

Liam had parked on the side of a dirt road which had meadows of white and purple flowers on either side. Louis thought they looked like the finest mattresses in the world, with a soft feel and amazing smell. There was a granary in the distance and Louis swears he can smell rich coffee beans from somewhere. 

"There's nothing on either side of us for miles." Edward holds Louis' hips as he jumps down from the Escalade. 

"Sometimes there's nothing better." Louis slips his hand into Edward's and gets a little squeeze from the Alpha. 

"Why do you say that?" 

They start walking across the empty road to where the granary is, stepping into the loose sand and eventually tufts of soft grass. The flowers were as tall as Louis' waist and Edward's thighs, brushing past them delicately as they walked. 

"It's nice to be alone with your thoughts." Louis supplies. 

"I agree." 

Edward releases Louis' hand and holds out his finger to tell the Omega to wait. He faces Louis, and falls back dramatically until he's landed on the grass. Louis bursts into laughter after his worry about the Alpha getting hurt disipitates. 

"Are you okay?" Louis sits down more carefully, not creating any noise unlike Edward's grand thump. 

"Glorious." Edward folds his hands under his head and stares up at the sky, but gives up on it and looks at Louis instead. "What are you thinking, little dove?"

"That I'm only eighteen." Louis sighs. 

"What about you being eighteen is bothering you?"

Louis shrugs, taking both Edward's hands when they're offered and climbing onto his lap. 

The flowers' stems stands strong and tall, completely concealing them from anything that could pass. It's like a painted picture from a priceless gallery. 

"It's beautiful here." Louis whispers out his inward thoughts. 

"Some things are more praiseworthy." Edward says back, clasping Louis' waist and rubbing the soft skin under his sweater. 

Louis looks at him baffled, and gets a quick kiss on his nose that makes him giggle freely. He gets it then. 

"Charmer." Louis flicks the collar of Edward's shirt. 

"Beautiful." Edward retaliates by nuzzling Louis' neck on the side that his bond mark was, pressing kisses to each tooth indent and keeping his hand braced on Louis' lower back. 

"Alpha." Louis' breath is shaky and his small fist presses against Edward's chest. 

" _My_ -" Edward lifts his head and kiss Louis' lips. "-Omega."

"I belong to all three of you, silly."

Edward rolls his eyes and bends his slightly knees in the air when he lies back so Louis can lean against something. The Omega hums absentmindedly, thumbing the petals of fully grown flowers. Some smell like grass and others like sweet perfume. 

"I want to take a photo of you." Edward has been staring at him, pitch black eyes fixed on Louis' every move. "Like this."

"O-Okay." 

"If you're uncomfortable, I won't." Edward checks for reassurance. 

Louis shakes his head and smiles. "It's just that nobody's wanted a photo of me before so I don't know what to do."

Edward's inner Alpha is very glad to hear this. "I'm about to take your photo virginity then?"

Eyes widening at the term, Louis covers his mouth with both hands as he laughs. "The term isn't necessary."

"Of course it is." Edward removes his hands and replaces them with his gentle lips. "My little dove, your laugh is magical."

"Magic is an illusion." Louis' sparkling blue orbs meet Edward's onyx ones when he looks directly at him. 

"You certainly aren't." Edward lowers his voice to not ruin the serenity of the atmosphere. "How will I take your photo virginity then?"

In the midst of the laughter from both Alpha and Omega, the photograph-taking and Edward craving Louis' soft skin under his calloused fingertips, they began gathering flowers. Louis chose the prettiest ones with pastel colours, and set them on Edward's chest. 

"Are there any trees around here?" Edward asks Louis. 

After checking over the heads of the flowers, Louis bites his lip. "Nope."

"Pity."

"Why?" Louis sits back on Edward's hips and starts connecting the strong stems with carefully intricate knots. 

"We could climb one." The Alpha watches Louis' fingers work to form a kind of chain, then how he builds on it so it becomes stiff and round. "What are you making?"

"A flower crown." The tip of Louis' tongue sticks out in the corner of his mouth as he concentrates. 

Edward kisses the spot and Louis instantly retracts the muscle, blushing and self-conscious about his pet peeve. 

"No, don't." Edward immediately realises his mistake and hastens to discourage this hiding. "You're always beautiful, Lou."

Louis goes back to weaving his flower crown, and eventually - much to Edward's relief - his little pink tongue makes an appearance near the crease of his cheek. While Edward lies back, eyes closed and petals on his closed eyelids, Louis works. 

"Tell me your favourite colour." Edward asks him. 

"I don't have one. Yours?" Louis finishes the first crown after twenty minutes and takes a break. 

"Red."

"Why?"

"You were wearing a red mask when I first saw you." 

"I was?"

"Red with a gold design." Edward knows Louis' flattered but trying to contain himself, he can hear the Omega's smile when he speaks. 

All of a sudden shouting picks up a distance away and Edward straightens his posture, discarding all the flowers and wrapping an arm around Louis' slender waist. 

"Nothing's wrong." Louis reassures them both. "I know those voices."

Edward sighs, relaxing back into his sleepy position. "And they're coming this way."

True to his word, two people step through the tall flowers and peer down at them quizzically. Marcel seems properly amused and joins them, crossing his legs as he sits on Louis' left. 

"Liam didn't know where you two went." Harry is angry, very angry. His eyes are dark and his lips pressed into a grim line, jaw set in a rage. 

"Liam is Alpha." Edward says without opening his eyes. "He either lied or he's an idiot who can't use his senses properly."

Harry goes with the latter and mentally decides to discuss this with their useless driver soon. For now however, Louis is looking at him with worry and concern evident in his face. 

"Hello, sweetheart." Harry sits on Louis' other side, kissing the troubled Omega's pouted lips when he's settled. 

"Hi." Louis clears his throat and goes back to weaving his second crown just so he has something to do. 

"What did Father want?" Edward asks casually.

"He pretended to angry about us quitting the Games, and told us that our cottage is done with its renovations." Marcel answers him, and through their bond Louis feels a little tug in his chest. 

Something's not being said.

"And?" Edward seems to know this too. 

Harry has grown very hostile in the past couple minutes and Louis takes the opportunity Edward provides when he sits up, to crawl over to Harry. 

"Harry?" Louis gets tugged onto Harry's lap and the Alpha plants a soft kiss void of feeling to his lips. 

"He also said we will have a pack meeting as soon as we're home, before we leave for Denver." Marcel voices. 

"Why are we going to Denver?"

"To meet another pack. Harry organised it before we could go for the Games." 

Louis examines the way Harry's eyes remain on him, even when he's struck suddenly with this news. 

"He's already spoken to the Alpha of that pack and I plan to make things straight when I get home." Harry says by means of explanation. "Our Father never recovered from losing his place as pack Alpha."

Louis nods and understands. Harry is angry that his father doesn't respect him as pack Alpha, but Harry seems like someone everyone's too afraid of to not respect. Louis shouldn't meddle in this but he's Harry's Omega and he has the right to ask. 

"That bastard really needs his ass kicked." Edward gets up and dusts off his pants. "Let's go so we can do it sooner."

"I agree but I will not be physically hitting our father." Marcel stands up too.

"Get in the car and wait for us." Harry dismisses them in a tone very unlike himself. 

Nevertheless Edward and Marcel make their way through the flowering buds and across the road in an irritated huff. Harry sags in tired defeat once they're far enough away. 

"What's wrong, Alpha?" Louis tries to lessen the burden by hoping to share the weight. 

"Our father needs to die and my problems will disappear." Harry says in a serious manner.

"Did you tell him about me?"

"I did and he stuck to what he said before. After the pack meets you, my sweet, we have to be gone for three days."

"What do you mean?" 

"Just us for three days." Harry's grasp gets desperate and his eyes are searching Louis' for something. "Two of which will belong to you and I, and the last one my brothers will join us for."

"That's romantic, Harry, but if you go to Denver that won't happen."

"I know." Harry growls, not at Louis but his damn father who isn't present. "I will take care of things, I promise."

"You're their Alpha, Harry. I'll understand if you're too busy because your responsibility was to them before me."

"I disagree." Harry takes the biggest little white flower with all its petals intact and tucks it behind Louis' ear.

  
* * * * *  


Louis' never experienced true fear up until now, not even when he first met Harry. This is meeting Harry's _pack_ and they're either half or twice as bad as he is in terms of temper. 

Plus, what if they don't like him?

After three hours of driving from the meadow that they all promised to come back and visit. Edward hopes they'll have a few extra little passengers by then, and Marcel hopes so too just as enthusiastically. Harry just really hopes it will be a time when Louis bears his mark - or _marks_. 

Nova Scotia is cold - not as cold as Louis' school district - and the snow only fell at night which made for wonderful picturesque visuals. They arrived outside the pack house at ten at night and Harry got off with a predator's determination to accomplish his task for the evening. 

The pack house was three stories high and all wooden on the outside. It intimidated Louis with its sheer size, but Marcel held his hand and whispered in his ear that everything will be fine.   
Nobody greeted them outside but when they ascended the four patio stairs and stepped inside after Harry, it was toasty and the air was thick with dead silent tension. 

There was a special room apart from the living room, with a slightly raised platform in front of the fireplace. Before it, sat and stood so many people all belonging to this pack. 

The Omegas stood by the windows to the side of the room, and many of them smiled at Louis as soon as he walked in. It might be because he's new and so young, or that their pack leader is holding his hand so fondly. 

A direct path to the side of the mini 'stage' is made for them to walk through, and Louis' senses are flooded with all the new scents clogging them up. The Alphas all have an unbroken streak of passive aggression in their eyes; in the way they _inspect_ Louis as he passes by like he isn't worthy yet, their congested emotions and very noticeable thin membrane keeping them from erupting. 

"Don't be scared." Harry tells him, lips pressed to his temple. 

Louis keeps his eyes on the dozens of Betas, Omegas and Alphas that are watching their interaction so intently. "Good luck."

There's light that jumps in Harry's eyes before he looks over Louis' shoulder at his brothers, nods and pulls away. Louis has to take one rightly footed step back and Edward's arm curls around him so he's safely tucked into his side. 

"Where is he?" Marcel whispers. 

"Dunno." 

Harry seems much revered in this pack because many people start murmuring with avid conversations about how 'different' Harry appears to look. Louis' not that good in his hearing because of recent unfortunate events, and nuzzles into the fluffy warmth of Edward's jacket when the buzz gets too loud. 

"Sorry, little dove." Edward's guilt crashes through the bond into Louis' smaller chest, and his Alpha paws try to block out some of the noise. 

"Enough!" Harry's outburst settled everyone in the room and everyone fell to attention. "Where is our father?"

Nobody answered. Nobody spoke at all, Louis doubts they dared to take a breath. 

"The punishment for not telling me will be graver than the punishment for concealing him." 

Harry controlled his pack with fear and respect, that ultimately rendered loyalty. Broken trust meant broken necks here. 

"He's in your den upstairs, _Alfa_." One of the other less powerful Alphas answers nobly, using the Czech term and pronunciation for respect. 

Louis sucks in a sharp intake of air and holds his breath. Edward doesn't even seem to tense up, nor does Marcel. They both don't see their brother as a threat hence their calm demeanour on the outside. 

Harry takes those words in and on his way out, whispers something to that estranged Alpha that leaves him flushed and slightly horrified. Louis catches Harry's eye on the way out and there's an emotion in them that scares him. 

"You are not dismissed!" Harry makes Louis jump with the sternness in his voice, like thunder to a silent city.

Releasing his cold breath after Harry walks out like a lit fuse, Louis slips under the flaps of Edward's jacket where he feels well protected. Edward rubs his back and kisses his forehead. 

"He wants me." Marcel tells them, motioning to an impatiently waiting Harry outside this room. "And Lou."

"Okay." Edward releases his Omega reluctantly, brushing his waist and pecking his temple one last time. "Don't be too nervous."

Every person in the meeting room is at an unpleasant stage of unease. The Alphas have nothing to do, the Omegas are tired and the Betas are just scared. When Louis passes them by Marcel's side, he feels holes in his back from their judgmental stares. 

Harry takes Louis' hand as soon as he can, pulling the Omega close to his side and then ahead of him when they're going up the longest staircase Louis' seen. Upstairs is covered in carpet and a hallway directed towards Harry's den has a line of artworks depicting previous Alphas of the pack, always with a pretty calming companion by their side. 

Louis wants to look at each one in turn, but when the dark brown single door approaches he has no choice but to enter as well. Marcel does an undetected roll of his eyes when Harry walks in ahead of them, trying to soothe their Omega's fired up nerves. 

With them still standing in the hall, Louis trying to tame his smile, something crashes and the echo makes Louis' eardrums vibrate. Marcel frowns and walks in ahead, keeping a hand wrapped around Louis' forearm. 

"What the fuck, Harry?" Marcel tugs Louis inside behind him and shuts the door. "You scared Lou."

Louis sees that a quite solid oak table has been shoved with so much force against the opposite wall that a leg broke off and the surface has a deep crack down the centre. Besides Harry, there's an older Alpha who is bald with deepset green eyes - not as mesmerising as the triplets' - and looks like he's in the middle of a heart attack. He's just as pale, half as tall and is trying to pull his gut in. 

Harry's deadly gaze that shimmers like watery silver flickers from his brother to Louis and he straightens up from his crouch. No words come from him, but he walks up to Louis and embraces him like one would at a train station after being apart for years. Louis doesn't get comfortable because Harry has to eventually pull away, so he leaves a kiss on his Alpha's Adam's Apple and whispers that he's fine. 

"You tried serving as _Alfa_ in my absence?" Harry now stood in the middle of the room, half alight by the fireplace and it adds to his haunting appearance.   
He made Louis sit and Marcel stand by him, holding his hand if needed. 

Louis watches their father, considering how in romantic comedies the meeting with the folks is always so different. He stays quiet however and busies himself with the flower Harry slipped into his hair at the fields. 

Harry's father isn't scared, at least he doesn't look scared. "Son, I-"

"I'm addressing you as pack _Alfa_ , you will respond with respect!"

Louis tries not to fidget in his plush chair. It's hard when one ear is pressed to Marcel while the other also needs coverage. All this noise is too much for him. 

"They needed a leader!"

"They have one!" Harry's shout is louder, making the room vibrate with a an ear-splitting growl. 

Louis goes for it and covers his ears with his sweater paws. Marcel, having felt Louis' discomfort all along, notices and groans at his brother. 

"Harry." Marcel hisses and when the Alpha's head snaps toward him, he motions to Louis. "No shouting."

Harry nods curtly and goes back to his father. "I did not need a replacement, however temporary. You are not _Alfa_ and you will not in any way act as such. Get downstairs, I have two punishments to deliver."

" _Alfa_ -"

"Downstairs! If I hear one more word, you will suffer."

The man leaves in a hurry, his own Alpha nature causing a fit of enraged humiliation. Louis doesn't like him very much but Harry also scares him, even now kneeling down in front of him and saying something. Louis sheepishly uncovers his ears and smiles, putting his hands on Harry's shoulders.

"I'm sorry, sweet." Harry helps him stand and kisses his cheek. "Are you hurting?"

Louis shakes his head and holds Harry around his middle. He's really tired after travelling so much, and wants to sleep soon. So soon. 

"Let's get this business done, Harry." Marcel says. "We're tired."

"Yeah." 

Back downstairs in the meeting room, Louis gets to sit when Edward pulls him onto his lap. He could get Louis' feelings of physical tiredness even if they were a floor apart and what kind of Alpha would he be if he didn't take care of his little precious Omega?  
Marcel sits on the armrest and all eyes leave them to find Harry on the mediocre stage again. There's electric power in this room with Harry in it, and it's not something every Alpha brings. 

"I'm home for an hour and two people are getting punished already." He raises his voice just slightly, filling his tone with Alpha harshness. "We're the most powerful pack in the world and so many of you are ungrateful. Tell me! Who listened to my father while I was away?!"

Nobody spoke. Silence. 

"Speak up!"

Murmurs. 

"Nobody then?" Harry's mouth curved into a daunting snarl that exposed one of two terrific canines. "Khalif!"

The Alpha Harry whispered horrifying things to earlier looks up. " _Alfa_?"

"Wait in my den. Go now."

Khalid nods and exits with long strides, still with traces of all-Alpha prowess. Harry has walked to the stage's edge and his hunched over stature does nothing to make him look less spooky. His narrowed glare settles on Louis, and softens to their usual mismatched colours. 

"Lou?" He calls. 

Not knowing what he's supposed to do, Louis looks from Harry to Edward and Marcel. They encourage him to go to their brother, that all will be fine. The Omega bites his lip and keeps his head bowed as he gets up, looking at the stage in hesitation before landing on Harry.   
Everybody watches and Louis hates that so many eyes are looking so closely at them. He soon forgets about them when Harry extends his hand and Louis takes a deep breath, shuffling forward and accepting the offer. 

"My sweet love." Harry's lips are pressed against Louis' temple. "Don't be afraid of anything."

"I-I'll try." Louis squeaks, making Harry chuckle breathlessly. 

Harry's broad arm that's seen so many battles and matters of warfare, scarred down to the bone, curls possessively around Louis' slim hips. He keeps Louis fitted to his right side, turning him so the pack can see him. Louis tries to hide from the attention but Harry holds him firmly. 

"This is Louis." Harry is rubbing circles with his thumb on Louis' lower back under the sweater where nobody can see. He knows it helped calm the Omega when he was nervous. 

Some murmurs pick up again and all those eyes fixate on this new creature, how he smells different and is too small to even be a werewolf. The Omegas like him, and when he looks at them they smile purposefully. He smiles back, and seems to win over another third of the crowd. 

"Look up, love." Harry says, letting Louis tilt his chin up on his own. 

The two bond marks on his neck are fully visible now because of excellent lighting and just when Louis' bravery collapses, he hears approving sounds from some Alphas. The rest don't really care who their _Alfa_ mates with. 

"Does anyone object to him becoming part of this pack?" 

Nothing. Louis breathes a sigh of relief. 

When he does, cries of loud cheer ring out. Harry doesn't seem surprised but Louis has to cover his ears again as the shouts get louder. It's mainly Alphas that are screaming phrases in Latin and Czech, welcoming a new member to their pack. Especially since this wasn't ordinary and Louis is to be their leader's mate, they only grew in volume.

"Stay here, sweetheart." Harry lowers his voice and quietens the crowd. 

Louis nods obediently, but suddenly his chest is filled with feelings of doubt and discomfort. He looks back at Edward and Marcel, both of which are sitting uneasily as they regard their brother. They're making Louis antsy, and just when they pick up on that Marcel comes to his aid. He stands off the stage behind Louis, supporting his hips with both hands and plants a kiss on a tiny patch of bare skin before covering it up. 

Harry gets back on stage with his father in tow. He looks determined, unbelievably ready to take a life tonight. Maybe two, depending on Khalif's punishment. 

"You all know him." Harry pushes his father forward like it isn't his blood relation at all. "He tried to take my place while I wasn't here."

The crowd drinks up this drama. 

"You are all loyal and I'm grateful. However-" Harry elicits a storm in his gaze. "-purposely misguided people do not go unpunished here."

This seems to be enough for Marcel, because he figured out what his brother is up to. He tightens his hold on Louis and lifts him off the stage, keeping him cradled to his chest as he walks away from the bloody scene about to play out.

"He's been wanting to do this for years." Edward smirks. "I can't wait for it to be fucking over."

Louis' about to ask what they're talking about, but a rough flesh tearing noise fills the room and he's stunned to silence. When he tries turning back Marcel covers his eyes and ears, keeping any horrid sight or sound out. Louis doesn't struggle, just grips Marcel's jacket tightly and whimpers at the noise, the shouts. The smell is awful and he coughs it away, burying his face in Marcel's chest.

"Tell him that's enough!" Marcel yells to Edward. "He's scaring Louis with all this."

Edward goes and comes back. "He's coming."

Indeed Harry comes out from the almost unruly mass of humanity, slightly bloodied on his arms and shirt. He takes in Louis' state and a little bit of his pride is chipped away, so that comforting Louis can have the majority of his focus. 

"I have one more thing to do." Harry sighs. "Take Lou home and settle him in, I'll be there in ten minutes."

Edward nods in comprehension and Marcel hoists Louis' drowsy form a little higher and closer to him. 

"Wait." Harry steps up to Louis and leans in to give him a kiss. "I know you'll be asleep by the time I return to you. Goodnight, my sweet love."

Louis mumbles something too but it's hardly anything English and Harry steps back. He gives Marcel a kiss on his forehead - like he would as children - and one to Edward. He watches until they're gone and feels like his whole world has been put out of business. 

Their cottage is a drive away from the pack house and they take the Escalade there, Louis already having succumbed to his exhaustion. The Omega is carried over the threshold of the house - his new home - and doesn't jostle one bit when he's laid down on the king-sized mattress. He looked radiant even asleep and after his clothes were carefully removed, the comforter was drawn over him. 

"It looks like he's drowning." Edward admires how Louis' tiny frame is devoured by the large bed and thick insulating sheets. 

"It does." Marcel was the one to tuck him in. "We should wait for Harry."

"For what?"

"To maybe ask why he had to take our father's life in front of our entire pack."

"Well, they seemed to like it."

"Edward."

"What did you expect from Harry, Marcy? He's back home which means old Harry's alive again."

"I thought he'd soften up a bit." Marcel draws out his exhale, watching Louis sleep. "He's always so careful with Louis."

"It's only with Louis that he's careful. Everyone else is fucked."

Harry parks the Audi seven minutes later and takes one minute to just clear his head. He has to speak to the Denver pack's leader tomorrow first thing, assert his authority and inform them of the mistake made by his later father. Then he needed to scope out the area for as far as they usually go, because he was informed that rogue packs are getting too close to their territory. That was another issue in itself and he knew he'd be breaking lots of humanity laws tomorrow. 

The cottage has an entirely new second floor now with three bedrooms, one belonging to them. He gets Louis' scent everywhere he goes in the cottage and when he enters the living room, two bodies await him. 

"Where's Louis?" He asks, stripping off his jacket. 

"Asleep." Edward answers from the kitchen counter. 

"Why are you two awake then?"

"Marcel?"

"What the _Hell_ did you do, Harry?!" The youngest triplet erupts like a live wire in hot water. 

"Exacted punishment." Harry crosses his arms over his chest, completing their little circle of council. " _Justified_ punishment."

"Did you have to slit our father's throat in front of our entire pack?!"

"Yes."

"You're cruel." Marcel sneers, slouching in his seat. 

"I have no regrets, Marcel." Harry adds. "No one was Father's favourite, not even you. If you think he'd have spared you sympathy if your roles were reversed, you're more naïve than I thought."

Marcel's hurt green eyes flicker from brother to brother, sighing when he has nothing else to say. 

Harry goes to him and kisses his forehead. "I'm glad to see you act out about something."

Marcel huffs a hesitant laugh and pushes Harry away meekly. "I'm going to sleep now."

"And you?" Harry looks at Edward twirling a whiskey glass. 

"What?"

"Don't you have a bone to pick with me?"

"The biggest bone ever." Edward gestures to how his eyes are a rotten black rather than green. "Maybe another day."

Edward goes upstairs soundlessly and Harry stays still for a couple minutes, clearing his head. When he finally reaches their bedroom, he sees everyone asleep. Louis' almost buried whole in the sheets with an arm across Marcel's chest. Harry gives in to his urges and crawls carefully over his sleeping Omega after stripping down, planting a kiss on his nose and resting his head on his tummy. 

Louis' fingers start combing through his hair at midnight. He froze and his fingers dug a little deeper into Louis' thighs.

"You're awake." Harry rasps. 

"Same as you."

"You're supposed to be sleeping, love." Harry propped himself up on his elbows and Louis welcomed him under the covers too. 

"I was but you're still awake and I felt bad." Louis pushes Harry's hair out of his eyes and the long locks fall like curtains around their faces that are an inch apart. "S-So why are you awake?"

"I'm always awake until I absolutely need to sleep."

"Which is when?"

"Three hours before I need to wake up."

"Harry, that's not good for you."

"Shh." Harry swoops down and connects their lips, parting Louis' lips and pouring all his anguish into this one simple lovely kiss. "I want to be close to you. _Need_ , rather."

Cheeks tinted pink and smile on shy mode, he tightens his grip in Harry's hair and tugs. 

Harry moans and chuckles into Louis' neck. "Let's get out of here."

"Why?" Louis pants. 

"Because I'd like to do things to you that will wake my brothers up."

"But I'm lazy." Louis feigns laziness and turns onto his side, sighing in mock exhaustion. 

Harry slides off the bed smoothly, grabs Louis' small ankles and drags him down to him with his legs spread. Louis is silent as he's yanked, arching his back and sitting up, breaking Harry's heart when his bright blue eyes come into view with light from the hallway peeking into their room. 

"Fuck." Harry cups Louis' cheek and picks him up, using his free arm to jerk Louis closer to his chest and higher up. "My sweet love, the things I want to do to you."

"Do them." Louis vouches. 

"I will." Harry's staring into Louis' wide-blown blue eyes. "When our time to be alone comes, I will ravish you in every way I can until you're _wrecked_."

Louis' smile softens and he wraps himself around Harry so completely that the Alpha's warm skin keeps him hot through his thin sleeping shirt. 

"But you will go to sleep now." Harry squeezes Louis through his pants. 

"Aw." Louis' thin bottom lip plumps up and sticks out. "Why? I want to keep you company."

"There is no need."

"Your ears are red." Harry frowns, using his heightened sense of sight to examine them. 

The Omega leans closer and closes his eyes, arms wrapping around Harry's neck. "I'm fine."

"Oh Lou." Harry kisses his earlobe and nuzzles the skin below. "Do they hurt?"

Louis shakes his head. "Just a little warm."

"Wait here." 

Harry puts him back under the covers between his brothers and leaves him for a few minutes. Upon returning with a woollen beanie and vapour rub, Harry finds Louis fast asleep under Edward's arm. Shaking his head at how much more difficult this task has become, Harry crawls up to Louis' level.   
He rubs his small ears with the vapour rub, inner Alpha deflating at how they're swelling up, and kisses the skin below before putting the hat on for him. 

"Louis' lucky to have all your attention." Marcel's been watching his brother this whole time. "But can you leave him alone for twenty minutes at a time?"

Edward chuckles and clears his throat, keeping his eyes open in the dark. "You know he can't."

"Shut up." Harry rolls his eyes and slides under the covers. "Both of you."

Harry manages to fall asleep at two in the morning, nose pressed to Louis' belly button and breathing in the scent that was like ice to his lava-tinted nerves. 

**_[A/N: All my chapters are un-edited when I post them so please forgive any mistakes x and: WHY. I just.......I don't know what I'm doing to us all with the FEELS in this story. Slap me someone. I also keep forgetting about Hercules......sorry 'bout that o.O - S xx]_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please Please Please  
> Leave Kudos and comments :') they make me really happy and I want to answer them all but I honestly can't so here's me saying thank you, lovelies, for showing support and being so incredibly kind. I love you all - S xx


	8. VIII

**_[A/N: I know lots of you expected more from the father, but he wasn't the main villain here so I got rid of him quickly. I try not to prolong things bc I want to show you Harry's character properly. Fun fact about this story: There is no Council or government of any kind. Packs run on their own with their leaders, and don't answer to anyone. Lots of people wanna know whose life will be taken by the shadow who gave Edward life....*nervous laughter* I have an idea but.....it's too sad. *hides*]_ **

Louis wouldn't have guessed, nor would any of the triplets, that mornings are their favourite time of day. Everyone took exactly twenty minutes to decide that the day was worth getting into, except Marcel who groaned and hid under his pillows. 

Harry got five hours of sleep and he was the first to rise at seven, not moving other than to ensure that everyone else was still asleep. Louis' on his side, Harry curled around him and Edward in front of him keeping the Omega from rolling off the bed.   
The _Alfa_ laced their fingers together and inhaled Louis' undeniably fragrant sweet scent. Yes, this was his life now. 

"G'morning." Louis' short fingers flexed and squeezed Harry's hand. He turned his head and gave Harry's jaw a kiss. 

"How do you feel?" Harry checked under the beanie and was relieved to see the swelling gone down, just light pink skin that faded into alabaster. 

"Well." Louis wriggled, his legs trapped in a tangle with Edward's. He gave up after two sets of arms got inextricably tight around his middle. 

"You're so fidgety, little one." Edward's night black eyes come into focus and Louis blushes when an eyebrow is raised at him. "What's the matter?"

"Sorry." Louis kisses the only part of Edward he can reach - his chest - as an apology. "Goodmorning."

Edward's lips curve upward into a sleepy smile and he bends at an awkward angle to kiss Louis' lips. "Goodmorning, lovely."

Louis notes in a small, quiet part of his brain how Edward tastes like nothing when he kisses him, Harry like vanilla and Marcel like toothpaste. They all ignited the same degree of an excited spark inside him however and it was a holy thrill.   
Getting to wake up covered in Alpha scents was flattering and scary. They each looked positively lethal with bed hair and attentive gazes, all soft and warm from being asleep for so long. 

"Why is everyone so loud?" Marcel sounded irritated from on Harry's other side. 

"Wake up now." Harry reaches behind him to nudge him. "I have to go to the pack house and you're showing Louis around town today."

"What am I going to do?" Edward is holding onto Louis' free hand, kissing his fingertips. 

"I want you to lead the hunt today. They're going as far as across the river." Harry answers him. 

"Okay." Edward pauses. "But you always lead the hunts."

"I have to meet with the Denver Alpha today and check how close the rogue packs are getting."

"How many Alphas do I take?"

"Minimal and not any of my men." Harry's vice-like grip gets looser on Louis' middle. "Take some Betas and the horses. Go into Skull territory."

"We've only been there once, and it was with you." 

"You'll be fine." Harry's voice carried a floating hint of something dark, something that Edward understood and nodded at. "Marcel?"

"Hmph?" Comes a drowsy reply from the sleeping triplet.

"Go with Edward on the hunt today. Louis will stay with me."

"Okay." 

Marcel was a home-body but he's served his pack dutifully many times, and if the time came he'd gladly do it again. Harry is just one _Alfa_ and he needed his brothers all the time.

"Is this safe?" Louis' fingertips trace the contours of Edward's jaw.

There has been no form of corporal or legal government in years, leaving packs and leaders to handle themselves or die trying. Alphas were very protective of their territories and too much blood was spilt defending them.   
Louis' heartrate picked up and through their bond Edward felt his body radiate strong feelings of panic and worry. 

"It's not scary at all, little dove." Harry let's Edward reply, the softer Alpha rushes to reassure his concerned little Omega. "We've been there before."

"Skull still doesn't sound very nice." Louis drops his palm to Edward's neck, his other caught by Harry's arms. 

"He's the leader of a nearby coyote pack. They'll have to let us hunt."

"Do you intimidate them?"

"We must."

"There's other places to hunt, with no danger."

"But the journeys to and fro are days long." 

Louis resigns from this discussion then with an exhale and turns on his front, followed by Harry who presses his face to the Omega's smooth plane of a back. They look like an eighteenth century painting, all embodiments of mortal desire encompassing everything that's beautiful in the world. 

Being worried about his Alphas is an automatic reaction for an Omega like Louis, young and naïve. He had three big strong Alphas with reckless behaviour and too much testosterone in their veins. 

"I'm going to make breakfast." Louis announces, lifting himself up. 

This only manages to create enough space so that three pairs of muscular, broad arms to grab him. He falls down to the mattress in a tumble, giggling. 

"We're leaving in two hours." Edward is speaking into Louis' neck, blowing out powerfully so that it tickles the Omega's skin. "Don't we get goodbye kisses?"

"You will get lots of kisses." Louis laughs and gets unavoidably caged between three heated bodies. "I need to make breakfast first."

"Absolutely not, sweet love." Harry captures Louis' thin lips in a prolonged, invasive kiss that tilts the Omega's head and has him mewling into. 

Marcel is undetected as he shuffles to the spot Edward once occupied, using this new availability to nip and suck at Louis' sweet skin. His sharp teeth leave the Omega in a mess of pheromones and goosebumps, shuddering when his body jumps to a liquid trinkle between his legs. 

Those very same legs are lifted off the mattress and hoisted over Edward's shoulders. He shivers and thrashes about when something hot and wet makes contact with the source of his slick, gripping Marcel's hair in a small fist and biting Harry's upper lip.   
Edward's selfish enough to hold Louis' thighs around his head, demanding that they tighten and quiver where he can feel it. He drags his blunt nails across Louis' hip and it leaves angry red marks behind, causing the boy's instant buck upward and gasp. 

Being Louis' mate made the desire greater, the lust harsher and need far more _raw_. It drove up their spines so their bodies arched together and skin rubbed against each other. Louis' hand snuck down to between his thighs, knotting in Edward's hair and turning his breathing to ragged pants. Edward's tongue teases circles around Louis' rim where his pants was stripped and body caressed, nipping at the flushed muscle to get Louis worked up further. 

Harry picked Louis up into a sitting position, pausing in their kiss to get air into their lungs, and slipping in under him. Edward growled at the movements and tightened his grip on Louis' behind. Marcel hated all the marks forming on his beautiful Omega's body, and got to work kissing them all away.   
Louis' teeth sunk into Harry's jaw, after the Alpha's nails dug a little too deep into his waist. He keened and whined when his shirt was torn open at the front, exposing his body to the cool air. 

"P-Plea- _ah!_ " Louis cried out when Harry bit his neck lightly, stopping his speech and rolling their hips together. 

Edward appreciated the grinding motions, and groaned loudly enough to send wicked vibrations crawling up Louis' spine like sharp sparks in his libido. Marcel pressed his lips to Louis wet, swollen ones to taste the gentility of Louis' innocence and swallow as much of it as he can. His body bends at an awkward degree to accomplish this, but Louis' hand on his cheek is enough motivation to keep him going. 

Louis' shout is muffled by Marcel's tongue when a slick finger pushes past his tight entry, wriggling around his walls and feeling them contract. He grips Marcel's bicep and Harry's hand as his ankles lock around Edward's shoulders. He's taken much more than this intrusion, but the presence of all three Alphas, mixed with his early morning dull mind has him overwhelmed and desperate. 

Marcel takes Louis' weeping length in his hand and slowly pumps him to his near end. Edward's tongue does sin to the outside of Louis' hole, before he uses a brief relaxation to push past and for Louis to come unexpectedly. 

"I-I'm s-sor-rry." Louis shivers and stutters through his orgasm, clutching Harry's forearm and hiding in his neck. 

"Shh, it's alright." Harry pets Louis' hair, threading his long fingers through and tugging slightly. "Don't apologise for your pleasure."

Louis smiles, cheeks and body turning an attractive shade of pink as a second finger enters him. He arches slightly and his eyes fly open, jaw going slack so Edward can come up to kiss him. He tastes himself, his own arousal, on the Alpha's tongue and throws an arm around his shoulders, hooking himself around him. Edward's hand works in and out slowly, applying a little pressure where it's due and spreading Louis' knees. 

"Ready, little dove?" Edward's warm breath fans over Louis' lips and nose. 

He nods and bites his lip, not as nervous as he was when he first got intimate with the triplets. He is sat up by Harry's reverent hands supporting his middle as he kneeled. It was far from enough prep to take Harry's knot but it'll have to do because Louis' inner Omega is whining and pleading. 

The head of Harry's thick length pops past his fluttering ring of muscle, making the rest of the slide easy enough because of the ridiculous amount of slick seeping out of him onto his legs and the sheets. Marcel pushes Louis gently onto his back again, skin on skin with Harry's chest. 

"Careful, Marcel." Edward tells him. 

The youngest triplet tends to get overly excited when they were sharing, and the last time it happened the poor Omega needed stitches. It's why Marcel never let himself go crazy with want or share a body with any of his brothers. 

"You'll be okay." Louis whispers to the insecure Alpha, thumbing his cheekbone and trying to contain his second orgasm from ripping through him just from having Harry sheathed inside him. 

Marcel's unfocused eyes look at him, cautious with his brothers right there, and guides himself past Louis' entrance into the tight warmth. His face falls into Louis' neck and his arms shake against the mattress. His hair is damp from sweat and Louis is fisting a good clump of it in his hand. 

The Omega's body tightens uncontrollably for a brief second, and relaxes to accept the intrusion. He's bonded to two Alphas and his body can take two knots, which made this full feeling exceptionally fulfilling. He breathed heavily for a few minutes, one hand captured by Harry's and the other in Marcel's hair. 

"Ready now, little dove?" Edward appeared beside him, lips tracing over his racing pulse point. 

Louis keened and nodded, after catching sight of a slight bump in his lower abdomen and Marcel's lust-blown eyes meeting his. Harry moved first, shifting his hips and rolling into Louis' body with ease. They had to find a rhythm, and for now they were tearing the Omega's mind apart with satisfaction. 

Edward kissed over Louis' bond marks, glancing at Harry when doing so. Harry responded by glaring at his brother, knowing exactly what was going on in his head. He'll bond Louis soon, when all the dilemma were figured out. 

Marcel's hands gripped Louis' hips and he slowly started to move, dragging his member in and out of Louis. He kissed Louis hard on the lips, bruising his lips and sucking on his tongue. Harry pushed him away after Louis whimpered once, growling at his brother. 

"Marcel." Edward warned when he tried to get closer to Louis' mouth again. "You have to be careful."

"It's f-fine." Louis spoke up for him, mind hazy but still wanting his mate close to him. 

Marcel appreciated the sentiment and went immediately when Louis beckoned him closer for a kiss. Louis sat up and Harry straightened with him, arms like barricades around Louis' waist and sucking so many love bites into his sensitive neck. The Omega writhed and whined helplessly when Harry started to jerk upward, lolling his head to the side and encouraging Marcel to follow. 

The youngest triplet learned quickly and his hands held onto Louis' hips as he thrusted up into him, turning the Omega blind with passion. Louis made breathless, mindless noises that were swallowed by Edward's lips. He felt his end approaching, as his prostrate was assaulted to no end.   
Without thought he reached down to touch himself, but Harry's chest rumbled and he took Louis' hands behind his back. 

"You will come from us. Nothing else." Harry whispered with low seduction in his ear. 

Louis cried out when he came, all the stimulation pushing him to a prolonged release. Marcel followed suit, his knot inflating inside their Omega. 

Harry pulled out and broke Louis' heart. 

"Alpha?" Louis' heartbroken expression wasn't easily repaired when Edward resumed Harry's position. "Harry."

"I'm here, sweet love." Harry kissed away Louis' sad tears and his pouty lips. "I can't knot you when your body is made for them. It will hurt you too much for either of us to bear."

"Stay." 

"I will." Harry didn't plan on leaving, but it seems Louis wasn't easily convinced. 

The Omega bravely took Harry's throbbing length in his hand, lubricated by his slick and pumped him to a hard climax while Edward fucked his tired form, earning his knot. Harry's brows furrowed as his lips smashed Louis' and he came on the sheets. 

"Soon." Harry cupped Louis' jaw and drew him close for a tender kiss. "Wait for me, yes?"

Louis nodded, eyes closing and his weight falling on Edward. Edward hugged him around his middle, rubbing Louis' tummy and kissing his exhausted Omega's temple. Marcel did the same, feeling awful for nearly hurting his precious person. 

"Don't make him wait long." Edward looked at Harry.

"I won't." Harry let his brothers find a comfortable position - they looked like they're trying to fit into a single pea pod. "Let him sleep."

"Where are you going?" Marcel was nestled between Louis' legs, frowning at Harry. 

"To the pack house."

"Why?" 

"Go to sleep, Marcel." Harry sighed, pulling on clothes and shoes. "I'll be back soon." 

As much as Harry would love to lie in bed with them for the next two hours until the day called them to their duties, he had a far longer list of responsibilities. He drove up to the pack house with the sun still hiding behind the mountains, and sent a Beta on a run to wake everyone up. 

"All Alphas and Betas in the pack house, from the cottages ensure that one Alpha is left behind with the family and the rest is to meet me here." He rushed his instructions to the experienced messenger. "Go to the stables and tell them to have all the horses ready."

With the Beta gone, Harry takes a trip to the kitchen for alcohol. With no governmental control, major manufacturing companies took advantage of the economy. Harry's pack was fortunate to be very wealthy, and self-sufficient. They could afford the outrageously priced necessities.   
The hunt today would be for purely instinct training. Even with all the advantages they had, Harry led warriors and no less. He was not going to let their primal nature fade. 

It was a lot of strain on Harry to control everything, especially when he was first thrust into this position of authority. It grew on him with each invading pack he defeated, each obstacle they overcame with his leadership and now nobody is more successful than him. 

Taking his whiskey up to his den, Harry put the fireplace on and drew the curtains closed. Louis would be spending the day here so he wanted to make it as comfortable for his little Omega as possible.   
Harry's love for Louis was spoken in so many ways everyday, but neither had the gumsion to say it with words. Harry vowed that he'd say it one day, say it first and throw himself at Louis' feet. 

When the door downstairs opened and bodies started flooding from the three floors of residence, Harry made his way down to their midst. He stood on the stage and prepared his orders. 

"Listen carefully." His voice of rich honey and electricity rang crisp, the glow of fire on his porcelain skin making him look frighteningly haunted. "There will be a hunt today and I will be searching our lands for rogues. Thirty Alphas and sixteen Betas will go with my brothers on the hunt. The rest will come with me."

He divided the room and told whoever was selected what they'd be doing for today. 

"Go home now. Say goodbye to your families and meet Edward and Marcel at the stables in two hours. Eat to your full because if you're hunting, you're only coming back at midnight. Those coming with me, you'll be back by three."

Harry finished up and ensured that everyone had returned to their homes, before retiring to his own.

His cottage was silent except for some shuffling to his left. At first, his Alpha instincts overrode any sense of doubt and his eyes glowed silver in the dark. Once he was close enough, the scent made him settle with reassurance. 

"Why are you awake, love?" He stood on the opposite side of the kitchen counter, and his abrupt speech scared Louis into dropping the pan in his hand. 

"I didn't hear you come in." Louis controlled his heartbeat. 

"How did you get away from my..... _vigilant_ brothers?" Harry's smirk was real in the dull, sunless morning. 

"I told them they were dreaming." 

"Strange that it worked."

"Indeed." Louis glanced up with a soft smile. "How was the meeting with everyone?"

"I didn't get a unified groan." Harry slid into a chair to watch Louis cook breakfast. 

"I'm proud of you."

Harry is a dignified creature of Alpha capabilities, but hearing that Louis was proud of him woke something more gooey within him. 

"Thank you, sweet." He smirked at his Omega chopping peppers. 

"What time will you be back from the search?" Louis cracked a dozen eggs - he hoped that's enough - and put the peppers, bacon shred and chillies into it. 

"In time to meet with the Denver Alpha. He's travelling down with his house." 

Louis hummed as he listened, pouring the egg into a frying pan and getting the kettle on. He made a mug of tea and slid it across the table to Harry. The Alpha caught it, eyes darting to Louis' and his gratitude showed there rather than with words. Louis smiled his welcome response. 

"Is it cold outside?" Louis pops four toaster waffles in the stainless steel toaster. 

"Five or six degrees." Harry said arrogantly, he's Alpha and can battle that cold effortlessly. 

He watched Louis chew his bottom lip in thought, then nod to himself after a decision was made. The Omega left the egg to stay warm on the gas stove, and the coffee to get ready in the coffee machine. He put bacon strips onto another frying pan with butter and sausages. There's another pot added with beans and onions, just to complete the fry up. 

"Do you plan to cook like this everyday?" Harry ogles all the food, mouth silently salivating. 

"I might change what I cook but yes." Louis giggles at the unsaid compliment and hands Harry a loaded plate. "Eat. You're going to be out in the cold all day."

"Half of the day." Harry picks up his fork and stabs a sausage. 

"Marcel likes fruits for breakfast." Louis tries to concoct a recipe in his head. "Edward and you will eat the same thing."

"Don't worry about Marcel."

"Don't be mean. He's just particular." Louis scolds, cutting up apples and various other fruit types. 

"He's particularly lazy."

"Shh." Louis rolls his eyes. "He's a softie, unlike you other two roughians."

Harry couldn't disagree with that so he stuffed his face with Louis' delicious food and swallowed mechanically. Louis took out yogurt from the fridge and made a special bowl of fresh fruits and yogurt for Marcel. The bastard better be grateful, Harry thinks. 

"Aren't you going to eat?" Harry questions. 

"I am." Louis doesn't eat like usual Omegas, as he has a bigger appetite so he likes to ensure his Alphas had enough food first. 

"Eat, Louis." 

"I will."

"Now." Harry orders and Louis sighs before pushing off the counter to go prepare his own breakfast. 

He comes back with smaller portions of everything he prepared and Harry doesn't push him further on the subject. 

"Normally I'd let you stay home, even if one of us isn't here-" Harry tells him softly, rubbing the back of Louis' hand as he ate. "-but I can't do that until I'm certain there are no threats nearby."

"I understand." Louis nods, pushing his hair back and meeting Harry's thunderous green eye paired with a black eye. "You're a good Alpha to them, although a little scary."

"I scare you?" Harry is intrigued at this point. 

"Sometimes you used to." Louis admits shyly. "Like when I first met you or whenever you raised your voice."

"You know I'd never lay a hand on you, or let someone else."

"I do." The flustered Omega gets up, and nearly drops his second cutlery item for the day when Harry drags him over to his stool. 

"I'm not convinced." Harry could smell his brothers on Louis, where he carried their seed and how their scent rubbed off on him. 

"You're a big bad Alpha-" Louis tugs on loose strands of Harry's hair that frame his face. "-but you don't scare me."

"I'll take you hunting one day." 

"To scare me?"

"To show you how dangerous we can be."

Louis rests his forehead against Harry's, eyes locked and lips so close together but not touching. "It won't work."

"Maybe I'll take you right there on the hunting grounds." Harry's unreasonably large hands cup Louis' bum under the ill-shaped T-shirt he's wearing. "We could mate there."

"I don't want to mate covered in blood, Alpha." 

"I find you covered in blood very arousing."

"That's one desire of yours I don't think I can fulfil." Louis laughs and chastely kisses Harry's lips. "Harry?"

"Yes?"

"Why didn't you knot me this morning?"

"Because I'm not your mate."

"You knotted me before."

"When you weren't mated." Harry cups Louis' face. "Your body will only accept two knots, your mates. Once I am bonded to you, I will be able to knot you without hurting you."

"Oh."

To interrupt them, two overly eager related Alphas come bounding down the stairs naked and sniffing. Louis likens them to hounds in his head, and giggles when Harry shakes his head disapprovingly. 

"I told you it wasn't a dream." Marcel shoves Edward as means to get into the kitchen where all the food is. 

"Idiot." Edward mutters, following after his brother. 

"Enough." Harry clears his throat and gets to his feet, hands on Louis' hips. "Eat and get ready to leave."

Edward salutes him and Marcel moans an answer around his spoon. Harry gives up all hope and goes outside to get their bags from the Escalade, stopping Louis when he follows. 

"Wait here." He says firmly, kissing Louis' forehead when he pouts. 

Louis crosses his arms and leans against the door frame, watching Harry tow three to four suitcases in at a time. Hercules has run down the stairs in ferret form and sits curled up on the couch, not getting in anyone's way. 

"Lou?" Marcel is about to sit on a stool and Louis stops him, along with Edward. 

Three Alphas and a ferret watch Louis extract two items of undergarments from the bags and hand them to Edward and Marcel. Louis blushes as he does so, but Harry just chuckles and takes the bags upstairs. 

Louis spends the next hour feeding a fully grown Alpha male. He was never able to say no to much but Marcel's sad look was beyond disheartening, so he straddles the Alpha's lap and spoons yogurt into his mouth with fruit sometimes. 

"Why does he get fed?" Edward sits beside them. 

"Because Marcel asked." Louis glances side wards at him, blushing when Edward winks at him. 

"I call shower time then." 

"No!" Marcel snaps. 

"It's fair, Marcy."

"Lou-"

"Louis is not looking after children." Harry shuts down their hopes with a stern tone. "You're grown men and I expect you both to act like that. You're both showering on your own and eating on your own from now on. Am I clear?"

The atmosphere sobers greatly as a result of Harry's unexplained charge at his brothers. Marcel keeps Louis perched high up on his lap, but his spirit sinks far below the ground. Even Edward says nothing and Louis knows this must be some kind of regular occurrence when things got too lighthearted. 

With a sigh, Louis pushes himself off Marcel's lap and follows Harry upstairs again. All these stairs are getting him dizzy. Harry disappears into their bathroom. 

"Harry?" Louis knocks on their bedroom door before entering. 

The Alpha has flipped the light switch on, and is leaning heavily against the counter. The veins in his arms are visible through his skin, the black ink of his tattoos making him akin to a daunting entity. His hair falls like a dark curtain around him and Louis feels like he's the only soft thing to ever lay a willing hand on Harry. 

"Are you okay?" Louis wraps his arms around Harry's middle, ignoring the slightly stiff response he gets. 

"Fine." 

"Tell me what's wrong." The Omega stands on his tip toes to comb Harry's shoulder-length hair back when he's turned around. "I can feel your anger. You're so hateful right now."

As if to prove his point, Louis puts his palms on Harry's burly muscular arms and flexes his pale short fingers. The skin beneath them is warm and vibrating. 

"My poor Alpha." Louis nudges Harry's solid jaw with his nose, kissing him tenderly afterwards. 

"The Denver Alpha was killed." Harry finally says, arms not shying away from restricting around Louis' waist. "His entire travelling pack was ambushed."

"How?"

"Rogues, we think. I just received word so I can't know for sure."

"Where they close to us?" 

Harry's Adam's Apple bobbing as he swallows hard is the only indication that he's a breathing creature. 

"Harry?"

"They were just outside this area, in our territory." 

Louis' face drains of colour as he imagines all the innocent people that could now be victim to these horrible rogue packs with no moral conduct. 

"I'm stationing Alphas everywhere but that doesn't leave much for the hunt and search." Harry runs his hand through his own hair, then gazes down at Louis with a storm behind his eye. "I can never let anything hurt you."

"Don't worry too much about me." Louis leans into Harry's gentle hand framing his cheek. 

"You can count on one thing with me." Harry traced his index finger over Louis' bottom lip. "You will _always_ have my protection and promise."

"Promise of what?" 

Harry bites his lip to stop his true answer from flying out. "That's my secret, sweet love."

Louis sucks in a breath and inches closer to the Alpha's warmth. "Be safe today. Before you scoff-" He manages to stop Harry's proud response with this. "-I'm just worried and I have the right to be. Promise me you'll be extra careful."

"I'm always careful. It's why my pack is still alive."

"I said _extra_ careful." Louis says pointedly. 

"I'll be extra careful then-" Harry lifts Louis up by the backs of his thighs and directs his path to the showers. "-just for you."

"I thought we're showering on our own now?" 

Harry knocks the shower handle and hot water lands on them in a heavy spray, making Louis squeal and laugh. The Alpha's lips get attached to his neck, rolling Louis' back up against the wall and gripping his waist possessively. Their crotches align, Louis' feet lock around Harry's waist and his jaw falls agape, fingers groping at whatever he can reach of Harry. 

"There is no other real pain-" Harry pulls away to bring their mouths together. "-than my inability to knot you."

Throwing his head back in laughter, Louis gets cut short when Harry's dagger teeth sink into his neck over Marcel's bond mark. He latches on powerfully, grip unholy and unrelenting on Louis' bum as he kept him hoisted. 

"S-Soon." Louis looks into Harry's eyes when he says back the words. "Soon enough."

Harry moves his mouth and Louis unties the string of his shorts, pushing the offensive article of clothing away. Soon enough, Harry's got Louis hoarse with screams and struggling to keep himself upright as he's pounded into. Harry can't knot him, can't claim him but when his climax gets to him he bites Louis' shoulder where he'd mark up if he could bond him right away and pulls out against Louis' pleas. 

Louis' hands come up to Harry's neck and his shudders fly away with the shower's steam. Harry takes those hands forcibly and pins them to the wall, fingers interlocked.   
Without words, the Alpha holds Louis close with one arm, kissing his throat and rubbing his back. He was saying I love you in so many silent ways.

  
* * * * *  


"You're wearing another shirt." Louis tells Edward.

"I don't think so." Edward argues to amuse his mate. He knows he'll wear the red plaid shirt Louis' holding. 

"You have to. Edward, it's cold outside." 

"I'm not weak like Marcel." 

Said Alpha doesn't even look wounded in ego or slightly offended by Edward's remark. Harry has long since given up on this argument. 

"You're wearing this shirt." Louis puts his hands on his hips. 

Edward kisses Louis' temple. "That's what I said."

  
* * * * *  


Marcel is showing Louis the horses in the stables, when Louis discovers that he's not so fond of horses. He normally loves animals, all of them, Hercules is wrapped around his neck and keeping that part of him warm right now even. 

Marcel's horse is grey, broad and packed with muscle everywhere. Harry's is black and just as intimidating as its rider, with armour on his hooves and saddle. Edward has a chestnut beauty who likes Louis unlike the other two. 

"What did I do?" Louis pouts at the grey beast. 

"Nothing." Marcel chuckles, leading his horse out by the reins. "He's just not very friendly."

"I will earn his friendship then." 

Louis watches Marcel mount up, then Edward trot up next to him. He accepts kisses from both of them, smiling when Marcel sets his beanie properly before he straightens up. 

"Be careful." Louis steps back into Harry's side as the other riders step out and some Alphas transform. 

Harry keeps a hand on Louis' back when he addresses the crowd. "You will go as far as Skull territory, no more! I want everyone back earlier than the previous time." He glances at his brothers who nod in acknowledgement. "If there's a physical or passive threat, kill it! No captives, we don't need more mouths to feed."

Once they're gone, Louis pays very careful attention to his bond with the departed Styles triplets. He doesn't get any pain or red flags so they're okay for the time it takes Harry to lead him to his den in the pack house. 

"You'll stay here for today." Harry watches Louis sit in his chair and appear as tiny as a flower child in the plush leather. "If you need anything, I have a Beta called Nico watching you. Ask her."

Louis nods, intending to never ask for anything during the day because he hates being waited on. He can serve himself.   
Smiling with ease, Louis gives Harry one last kiss on his cold lips before the Alpha licks his lips upon withdrawing. 

There's those three words hanging invisible in the air between them, connecting their hearts and lips. _I love you_.

With one last long look, Harry leaves the room and closes the door. Louis wants to mourn his stupidity. 

"Harry!" He bravely calls. Maybe he can say it now. 

The door opens again and Harry's head pops around the corner. He seems just as eager to hear those words. "Yes?"

Louis' a coward. "Do you remember your promise?"

Harry's head snaps from the fireplace to him, head tilted. "Yes."

"What was it?"

The Alpha looks crestfallen but he's strong and would never admit to that. "To be extra careful."

  
* * * * *  


Edward and Marcel have been on track with the hunting crew for an hour, and everybody on foot seems content. One Styles looks at the other and they frown together at the thin air, the odd smell. 

"Stop!" Marcel shouts to the back, his horse blowing out white fumes and pulling back. 

"Be quiet!" Edward growls at the mumbles picking up behind them. 

"It doesn't matter." Marcel backs up his steed, and the animal pushes snow to the front in panic. "They saw us."

"Who?" Edward's sense of smell hasn't been all that reliable since his resurrection. If someone wanted to hide from his detection, they could. "Who, Marcel?!"

The Alphas start to growl and those on horses step down to face the threat, changing into their wolves and snarling. 

"Rogues." Marcel gets off his horse, pausing when the fog clears up ahead of them and several pairs of yellow eyes begin to glow. "It's an ambush."

  
* * * * *  


Marcel and Edward have been gone for twenty minutes and Louis has not gotten any bad feelings. Harry's been gone for five and Louis wants to thump his head on the desk. 

Nico was a pleasant, clumsy African-American Beta who mothered three children and still could walk up stairs without tripping on nothing. She's been asking Louis lots of questions about how he met the Styles triplets, and what made him love them enough to come here. 

"Do you just know sometimes?" She looks at him with big brown eyes. 

"Yes." Louis bites his lip and smiles. "Sometimes you get a choice in who loves you and who you love."

"Even _Alfa_ Harry?"

"He needs the most amount of love." 

They spoke for some time when Louis' chest started getting tight and the marks on his neck began to itch. He scratched at them until Nico told him not to. 

"You can scratch away a mark like that, Louis." She scolds, all motherly in nature. "It's your only connection to your beloveds when they're not near."

They discover a gramophone in Harry's desk and play records from before time was recorded on digital clocks. Louis laughs at the choices of albums, and they sing along to several selections so he doesn't focus on the tightness in his gut.   
Eventually the loudness of the music makes his ears hurt - they will probably never heal fully - and he asks to switch it off. 

Louis takes a sip of water and finds the glass empty. Nico volunteers before he can ask to refill it, and Louis tells her to bring a glass for herself. 

The scratching becomes uncontrollable when she's gone, Louis' nails attaching themselves to the marks until it bleeds and the pain escalates to _cruel_. It's unbearable, like something is stabbing their connection and sneering at their bond.   
He cries when his nails are dirtied with his own blood, unable to stop the lead-heavy panic from coursing through his veins. He knows something's wrong now, out there where his Alphas are. 

"Please." He whispers to whatever God is willing to hear his pleas. "Keep them safe. _Please_ don't hurt them."

His head starts to throb - the pain in his ears coupled with this leads to drowsiness - and he falls asleep on the desk, murmuring to himself from paranoia. His tears dry on Harry's chair and when Nico returns, she sighs and covers him with a blanket. She leaves him there with the lights dimmed and goes to help the kitchen. 

Due to nightmares, awful and horrific imagery plaguing his innocent heart, he startles awake to a terrible smell. He whines at the odour reaching his nose and making him cough, his eyes to water.   
He fans the air around him and gets up to find the source, hoping to cut it out. Before he can touch the door, he hears crackling and a loud crash. 

Swallowing his scream, Louis grabs the door handle but it's scalding hot and he jumps back from it. He tries again with the blanket over his shoulders, but the door doesn't budge. 

"Nico!" He shouts, desperate for aid. 

He trips on the rug and scrapes his knee but that's the least of his problem. Smoke is flooding the room through cracks under the door and his momentarily blinded. There's a fire, a big one by the sound of things outside.   
Louis screams a bloodcurdling cry and kicks the door, forcing it to budge but it doesn't. He collapses against it, overwhelmed by the noises and stench and pain in his chest.

Outside Nico is fighting an Alpha's grip to get to the pack house. She was put in charge of Louis and she can't let the boy down, especially now when she hears him scream. When she's released, she crumbles into the snow because the building goes up in flames and half of it collapses. 

**_[A/N: I LISTENED TO THE ENTIRE MIDNIGHT MEMORIES ALBUM WHILST WRITING THIS - I'm sure you noticed the sudden change in mood in some places hehe. I just learnt that wolves are pregnant for two and a half months with 1-7 pups. You know what this meanssssssss.........Okay so I know I said I won't update properly but I had these last two chapters ready so why not? Don't judge me for the shitty smut because I've never done something like that before, it's new and needs work. See you guys again after my exams xx]_ **

**_[A/N: I shan't be touching my fanfic's for the next few weeks :( so we will see each other again on the 26th of June. I'm going to be really busy and as much as I want to spend my life writing this book, my mother won't let me. So please, for now, drop some comments and please let me know what you think. Story ideas, love/hate, anything and everything is welcome]_ **


	9. IX

**_[A/N: Hiii! I missed you guys :( So over my exam period I took time out to proof read almost every chapter of this story. Some things to clear up however: 1. The triplets are from Nova Scotia, NOT Aspen (so that's to be changed in past and future chapters. 2. There is NO government structure so there are no laws, etc in place. 3.I'm going to be putting in bits of history, tiny flashbacks in each chapter (maybe two or three) that will just have to do with Harry & Louis. It's like bits of their past lives (because of the soul-mate theory) and I will try to not make it very confusing. It will be in Italics and marked off with asterisks (like at the start of this chapter). To those who have read my other works, some things might be very familiar to you ;D 4. I am possibly the biggest dinosaur fanatic and Jurassic World has given me the final shove to do this. This story is Sci-Fi and I won't be putting in major stuff but dinosaurs will pop up somewhere. Just saying.]_ **

_Harry was ten when he took up sword-fighting, then archery and a cart of other battle skills. His father, the king Darius, was very proud and encouraged his son. He became his land's best warrior at nineteen, and upheld the title until the day he laid eyes on his son, Troy._

_He met Louis in the least convenient way, and he scared the younger Prince with his uncontrollably authoritative manner. His men invaded Louis' - the Prince - home and took him. Harry never regretted laying over Louis like a blanket that night and stealing his innocence for no other man would have treasured it like he did._

_"You are a flower, rare but full of challenges. I want to figure you out."_

_"I am a housed novel, Harry."_

_"And I want to memorise every word of your heart."_

_Louis had his baby months later, frail and scared as he brought the screaming baby boy into the world. He only saw Troy once just to name him, before his eyes closed for good after that._  
_Harry fell to his knees when he heard, shattered despite making the Prince's life miserable. He didn't cry but he swore to the gods above that he'd have his captive Prince again, in another life._

*** * * * ***

The fog was clean white and slowly giving way for better vision. Everyone had bated breath but their surprise was dwindling, allowing their Alpha instincts to kick in. 

"Do they want to fight?" A beta asked Edward from behind him. 

The brothers stood at the front, a few feet away from the closest pair of eyes. The rogue hybrids had not made a move, but the Alphas could smell their hesitation and near deaths. 

"We're not fighting!" Marcel is the one who answered, shouting at both parties. 

The yellow eyes flickered but stayed present. It was all around them, on gentle hills and clustered around tree trunks. There were maybe a few short of a hundred that circled and caught them in the middle. 

"They're close to home." Edward muttered in a growl. "It's an act of aggression if they threaten us here."

"They outnumber us." The Beta says as well. 

"Why are you here?!" Marcel shouts to the foe, signalling the growling Alphas to stay put. 

No response. Marcel waits until he hears a snarl from their opposition. He didn't want to fight, not today. 

"We don't have a choice." Edward pushed the horses back and forgot about Marcel's deliberation. "They'll attack first and we could lose lives."

"Send the horses back." Marcel turns his grey stallion around and with Edward's fierce growl the creatures break off in a sprint for home. 

Deafening rumbles began to echo around them, and paws settle into the snow to dig the soil and erode the peace. Ears prick and heads raise, jaws are tense and directed at the opponent. 

Anyone who was in human form changes fluidly, snapping their jaws at the cold air to issue threats. The rogues don't step out of the shadows and Edward stands ahead, claws in the thin snow and teeth bared.  
The first rogue to show themself is a tawny wolf that leaps out from the side, jaw spread and aimed at Marcel's jugular.

Out of nowhere he appears, with nobody suspecting or sensing him, and Harry knocks the wolf down. His teeth stay lodged in this creature's neck until the writhing stops and the snow is a beautiful massacre red. 

Marcel glances at his brother, conveying his thanks and Harry merely nods before shoving his youngest brother into action.  
He doesn't get a formal welcome either because everyone springs into defense at that point. When all the unwanted hybrids sprint out of the woods, the group Harry travelled with swarm like lethal monsters. Packs always worked together at home or in war, it was in their blood. 

Harry spotted the silhouette of a wolf nearby that did nothing more than watch, paws on the ground and eyes unblinking. Their gazes locked and neither shifted, staring at each other's forms.  
The intruder was ruffled and dark grey, paws dirty and eyeballs black without a pupil or iris. It was male, Harry could smell that, and unflinching. 

He was soon forced to snap out of it, because the triplets look like the strongest ones present and their duals never end. One after the other they're covered by smaller wolves and sharp teeth, howls of pain and death surrounding them. Some almost dragged Edward down but with new-found strength he could maintain himself, and cruelly fling the attacker against a tree so its bones cracked sickeningly. 

They killed a good percentage of their enemy and Harry comes out unharmed, but Marcel got a bite on his shoulder and Edward has enjoyed beheading dead shrivelled wolves too much. Harry watches him arrogantly tear the head off a brown wolf, blood dripping as he stalked forward to where a passive fighter stood and dropped it at his feet. 

The wolf from earlier, a passive leader, was long gone. 

Suddenly Edward collapses, shrinking into his human form, and screaming a blood-curdling cry that falls in tune with Marcel's howl. Worry brimming, Harry goes to where his middle triplet lay, nudging his head with his snout and drawing back with a rumble. 

He smells smoke and burning flesh. Where was it coming from?

His eyes flash red and bleed into black again when he gets the same reaction from Marcel. Something was wrong, deadly wrong. 

Harry forces Edward to stand and shoves his side so he changes into his wolf form. Edward goes to pull Marcel onto his feet, teeth closing on the smaller's wolf's ear and nudging him. 

There's a loud crash from far behind them and puffs of smoke rise into the atmosphere. Every wolf looks up at it, before realising that it was coming from their territory, home. One by one the wolves ran in that direction, desperate to get back and save their mates.  
The smell got worse and the screams got louder. Edward was in a fit of worry and even overtook Harry to get ahead. It wasn't a competition, but Louis was home and home is under siege. 

They fell to a nervous stop outside the pack house. Snow flew into the air as the army of pack Alphas threw themselves forward. There was no direct threat that needed to be handled right away.  
Marcel's wound kept him from reacting immediately but Harry leapt over any obstructions and tore past the collapsed house. Flames rose high into the sky and trees were falling to ash. Edward felt pain through his bond, agony becoming dull and empty as the other end fell. 

Louis had no injuries, but he lay curled up on the ground where the air was minisculely clean of smoke. He coughed and sputtered into his fist, whining to no one when the floor shook from weak appendages. He felt the heaviness in his body, weighing him down. His instinct was to survive but he couldn't do anything with tears in his eyes and unconsciousness creeping over him. 

Something falls and he flinches, not wanting to have a limb chopped off. A vibration is felt against his back and his waist is delicately pushed. He gasps and it just leads to more violent choking until his throat is hoarse and his strength is depleted. 

He never imagined death to be so unfulfilling, because he never thought he'd go down in a burning building. 

Harry growls and lowers his mouth, clamping down on Louis' middle without using his teeth and picking him up. The Omega was unconscious and unaware of his lift. Harry felt the ground shake and he slid out when the structure collapsed, accidentally falling and allowing Louis to roll into the snow. 

The relief flooded over the other two Styles, as one helped Harry stand and Marcel gets up on shaky legs from his fallen spot on the ground. He lowers himself beside his mate, pawing gently at his clothes and whining from grief. 

"He is not dead." Harry was back in his human form and the look in his eye was wading in misery, in guilt. 

Harry had played pack Alpha for years and everyone knew the signs when he successfully changed into a man with no remorse. He was build for determined leadership, for breaking through chaos when this hooded black look bled into his eyes. He looked more terrifying with one a sharp onyx black and the other a foresty green. 

"Take him home." Harry orders, keeping the sadness out of his voice. 

Edward carried Louis away from the blazing drama, and Marcel tripped only thrice on rocks or a branch. He would heal, but he needed strength to do that. 

Harry brought everything to a standstill outside the pack house, indifferent to the cold and the scared looks he was getting. He had the fire stopped and stood like a newly emerged battleman in front of everyone, though his absent mate was all that stood on his mind. 

"What happened here?!" He bellowed, Alpha timbre cutting the cold air. 

People were starting to get riled up again, and Harry shut them all up with a piercing growl that got through their skulls. Not many Alphas could do it, in fact none could besides him. 

"Tell me!" He looked at everyone at once but seemed to look each person in the eye. "Tell me _why_ our pack house is destroyed and we nearly lost a life today!"

There was no explanation, no brave confession. He sighed and shook his head, deciding that without an iron fist his people won't take him seriously. They thought he was getting soft. His eyes grew ferocious and _stormy_ when they landed on a familiar Beta. 

"You!" He jumped off his perch and stalked over to Nico, glare set on death and everyone around him simpers in fright. "You were in charge of my Louis. _Why_ was he alone in there?"

If it weren't for Harry's fuelled rage and the fog that clouded his senses, he'd have cracked towards the end of his sentence when he thought about how close he was to losing the closest thing to his heart. It just makes him angrier, more hateful. 

" _Alfa_ please-" She began to plead when his hand closed around her throat and lifted her off the ground. 

"Silence." He dropped her at once and moved towards everyone else, causing shivers with his eyes. "We were attacked by rogues who want to claim this land and kill all of you! They will cut down every warrior, hunt every Omega and slaughter every pup. This territory is _ours_ and so help me, I will make sure it is not taken from us." He heard a few birds take off from the treetops and the Alphas shift back into human form. "This world has fallen to anarchy and for us, we bleed everyday to keep our home safe. If anyone here is not going to function as a pack member, leave now."

Nobody moves, as each person looks from him to who stood beside them in this thin crowd. 

"Go home." He lifted his chin slightly, fists curled. "Hold your babies and make love to your mates. At midnight, every Alpha and Beta must be present in this ring."

He dismissed everyone before starting his own short journey home. The pack house was not attacked, which he was grateful for, but he needed to tighten his control if these people were going to be so stupidly clumsy. 

Harry could smell Louis - his hurt little Omega - with mostly smoke and beside it, Marcel's wavering injury. Once inside their cottage, away from the cold for the first time today, he unsurprisingly finds Edward in the kitchen cooking something up. 

"I heard your little speech." The younger of the two looks up briefly, smirks and goes back to the mug in his hands. "What are you going to do at midnight?"

"A parole." Harry stripped off his jacket and boots. "We have wire fences around our territory that we never used."

"Do those still work?"

"I kept someone in charge of maintaining them. If the gates don't work, it's on their head."

Their forefathers predicted such a gratuitous rise and fall of the world's infrastructure and wanted to keep their pack as safe as possible. Gates were put up round the perimeter of the Styles pack, as tall as a double-storey building and solid concrete. After three years of nothing so much as twitching the wrong way, the walls were sucked into the ground with comforting slots and Harry was given its code should he need them again. 

"Go take a shower." Edward gestures to Harry's unclean appearance. "Marcel's asleep and Louis' waiting for his tea."

At the sound of this, Harry nods and composes himself as he jogs upstairs. Edward gives him the mug of camomile tea to take with him, and uses the shower downstairs to save time.  
Harry steps carefully into their bedroom and shuffles over to Louis' side where the Omega is on his side, dozing softly against Marcel's warm chest. 

Harry sets the mug down and goes to have a shower, quickly finishing and coming out in nothing but boxers. He closes the windows that were slightly ajar and goes to Louis' side, kneeling by the Omega's head. He does nothing but caress his high cheekbones and rub the knuckles of his small hand for a few minutes. Deep in thought, Harry removes his favourite ring - a red medallion replica of a wolf with a thick gold band - and slips it onto Louis' left ring finger. The sleeping Omega seems to realise even in slumber that his Alpha is very near and curls his whole hand around Harry's two fingers. 

"Lou?" Harry brushes his hair out of his face and sits straighter. "My sweet, please wake up."

Louis stirs and blinks awake at once, releasing an adorably soft and tired noise as he smiles up at Harry. 

"For you." Harry sits on the bed's edge and supports the Omega's swaying form, holding the mug to Louis' lips. "I'm so sorry about today, my sweet."

Relaxing back onto Harry's chest, Louis shakes his head and plays locks his hand with Harry's. "You saved me afterwards."

"I shouldn't have left you." Harry places a firm kiss to his temple. "I never should have said goodbye."

"My Alpha." Louis turns around, ring-free hand on Harry's cheek. "You have a duty and I understand that. This was not your fault."

Harry presses Louis so close to him that he can smell the mixture of their scents, and nuzzles Louis' soft neck. Dainty fingers are threading through his hair, and thin lips are on his cheek. This is Heaven, he knows, this is how he must die. 

"What's this?" Louis twists the ring on his finger, not taking it off.

"It's a ring older than anyone in these lands." Harry takes Louis' hand and kisses each finger. "I earned it when I became pack Alpha."

"Harry, you can't give this to me then. It's-"

"Yours." Harry stops him. "Everything that's mine is yours but this ring in particular, I want you to have. When I became Alpha, there was one challenger and he's also the one who damaged my wolf so greatly. I won however and this ring belonged to him."

"You took it from him?"

"He gave it to me. The elders told me it was a worthy gift and that it was older than two centuries."

"Wow." Louis studies his newest possession. "What was his name?"

"I don't know." Harry tries very hard to not remember that day. 

Louis coughs repeatedly until the painfully dry feeling in his throat is evacuated. Harry gives him a tissue and water, rubbing circles below Louis' Adam's Apple with his calloused thumb and feeling the cool water go down. 

"Better?" 

Louis nods and smiles gratefully. 

"We're going to set up walls later." Harry tells him, Alpha composure gone and his special love for his Omega shines through. "At midnight."

"Walls?" Louis sets the mug down and gets back under the covers, drawing them up to his ears. 

"These fuckin' old ones that's as tall as Everest." Harry sighs. "At least until after we decide it's absolutely safe."

"Do you not want to?" Louis draws ugly swirls on Harry's thigh. "Would you rather do something else?"

"I'd _rather_ kill everyone outside these borders." Harry says blandly. "Coastal packs are so frustrating and midland packs are too bloody weak."

"Where do the rogues come from then?" 

"Broken packs." Harry explains. "An Alpha falls, the Omega won't mate again, and the pack goes to Hell."

"The Omega can mate again?" Louis' eyes widen. "I can understand why they'd never want to do that."

Harry watches Louis with admiration, eyes trained and black as the emotions from earlier still linger there. 

"An _Alfa_ -" Harry tilts Louis' chin up. "-only kneels for his Omega." He whispers, lips brushing against Louis' softer ones. "If there isn't one, the Omega is in danger. He or she will die from murder or loneliness."

"It is a noble death." Louis tells him, lips twitching into a sad look. 

"Sleep now, baby." Harry feels a tug on his heart, and pulls the covers over Louis' back. He follows by getting in beside the Omega. "Dream of us."

Louis is roped in under Marcel's arm and can't move much from under there, but his hand holds Harry's fingers so the Alpha can't go too far. Edward walks in when Harry's rubbing Louis' arm with the Omega deeply asleep.

"Did he drink it?" Edward pretends as if he didn't hear their conversation minutes ago, and comes closer. 

"Yes." Harry replies. 

Edward gives Louis' cheek a modest press of his lips and withdraws so that he can get some sleep too. Harry gives him a kiss on his forehead and decides that some sleep would do him good too. 

Inexplicably through their three hour sleep, Louis gravitated towards Edward who held him just as tightly and when the time to leave was near, he groaned stubbornly. 

"I'd rather not leave this bed." He complained to Marcel, speaking in soft whispers as Louis was still asleep and Harry was going into the bathroom. 

"You're staying." Harry told Edward from the closet, then turned to Marcel. "Get up and get ready."

Marcel was stunned to say the least when Harry disappeared into the bathroom. He poked Edward's sleeping form until he stopped grinning so gleefully and glared at him. 

"Get out." Edward scolded. "We're sleeping."

"Why did he ask me to come with him?" Marcel ignores his brother's harshness and stands up. 

"You're lazy, that's why." 

"Oh shut up." Marcel chewed his thumb and went to get ready in new gear.

While the two Alphas were getting ready separately, Louis woke up to the sound of bustling and a yawn. He smiled at Edward and they shared a sweet kiss under the covers. 

"Hungry?" Louis asked, sitting up and staying close for body warmth. 

"You don't have to get up." Edward rubbed Louis' hips soothingly. "They can survive on whatever's downstairs to eat."

Rolling his eyes, Louis swatted Edward's pectoral and got up. He slipped on a black long-sleeved shirt - he isn't sure whose it was - and padded downstairs in socks. The internal heating did wonders for him and his usual chills. 

The kitchen was just as he left it, and after washing up he got ready to prepare something wholesome for everyone to eat for this late, late supper. It had to keep them going until tomorrow morning when breakfast came around again. Edward followed him dutifully and sat at the counter to watch Louis work. Hercules trotted over as a baby goat and Edward growls at it when the creature bumps his leg. 

"Hey." Louis raises an eyebrow at his Alpha. "Be nice to Hercules."

"Since you asked." Edward rounds the corner and grabs Louis' hips to kiss his neck, over his mate mark. "What are you cooking, sweetheart?"

"Lots of pasta." Louis twirls out of his arms and tries to grab a packet off the tallest shelf. "Help?"

Edward chuckles and captures Louis' lips with his, his arm of steel bunching Louis' shirt at his lower back as he deepens the kiss. His arm extends upward, and his tongue swipes over Louis' lip. He grabs the pasta packet and smirks against Louis' plump lips, nibbling on his bottom lip for a little while. 

"Here you go." Edward hands Louis the packet, and makes sure the Omega's fingers are holding on before releasing both desirables. 

"Th-Thank you." Louis' blue eyes that reflect all that is pure in the world, are purer and bluer with a pretty pink tinting his perfect cheekbones. 

"Welcome, little dove." The Alpha gives Louis' bum a very non-discreet squeeze and goes back to the counter with a beer bottle. 

Louis boils the entire packet of pasta and cheats by using a satchet of sauce rather than starting from scratch. In his defense, he is on a time cut and needs to feed the departing Alphas before they're gone. 

"How are you feeling?" Edward asked him carefully. 

Stopping his stirring motions, Louis makes an effort to smile and continues. "I'm fine."

Being caught in a fire is the most traumatic thing Louis' been part of, but he's okay and the shock may have worn off faster because he's mated and has two strong individuals connected to him. He could survive anything like that. 

"Really." Louis could sense his Alpha's concern through their bond and reassures him. "I'm okay."

"What happened?" Edward nursed his beer and regarded Louis with an intense stare. "Why were you alone?"

"I fell asleep in Harry's office and when I woke up....-"

"I'm sorry, little dove." Edward was behind him again, holding Louis' waist and nuzzling his neck. "I could feel how scared you were and when it started to fade, it was real agony. We can't lose you."

Louis puts his hand on Edward's cheek and gasps when the Alpha sinks his teeth into his own bond mark. "Y-You won't lose me. I can't live without you and your brothers."

Edward was reluctant to separate from his mate, who was sad to see him go even. Louis finished cooking and Harry came downstairs with Marcel behind him, nose slightly raised at the smell of food. 

"You didn't have to cook, pumpkin." Marcel was the most polite and greeted Louis with a kiss. "You should have stayed in bed."

"Both of you can't go out there with empty tummies." Louis argued, sitting on a high stool with Hercules at his ankles. 

"You've got twenty minutes to eat and leave." Edward reminds them, head falling onto his arms as he yawns. Louis pokes his arm for trying to chase his brothers away. 

Harry doesn't pick a fight this time when Louis finds himself in Marcel's lap, feeding the fully grown Alpha in a nurturing manner. Instead, Harry eats his food and puts his plate in the sink silently. Louis knows something's dodgy about that, but he'll have to ask later. Marcel finishes his food and kisses Louis' lips with his own saucy mouth, before meeting Harry at the door with a cigarette. 

"Please-" Louis hugs himself for warmth at the door. "-be safe."

"Yes, darling." Marcel gives him a brief hug. 

"Aren't we always?" Harry bends to kiss Louis. "Stay inside and stay warm. We'll be back very soon, okay?"

"Okay." Louis sends them off after stealing Marcel's cigarette and putting it out. 

Edward helps Louis wash the dishes and gets a kiss on the cheek like a true gentleman deserves. They settle down by the window but Louis is restless, thinking about the people who were hurt or scared by the fire. He was one of them and he wants to go see to his duty as well. As minor as it may be compared to Harry's, he is still the _Alfa's_ future definite mate and he wants to ensure that all is well with the pack. 

"Your heart is uneasy." Edward says, drumming his thumbs on Louis' hip. 

"I want to go to the pack house." Louis twists at his waist to look Edward in the eye, black on blue. 

"There is no pack house, little dove." He runs his fingers along Louis' bare waist.

"I meant that I want to see if everyone's okay."

"Harry will kill me." _Again._

"He won't." Louis felt he was winning so to seal the deal, he climbs onto Edward's lap. "I'll protect you. Please?"

Edward's chuckle makes him throw his head back and grasp Louis' hips even tighter. "Sure, sweetheart."

"Thank you!" Louis gets pulled down for a hard kiss and giggles when Edward holds his nape to keep him from drawing back. "I'm going to get dressed."

"I'll join you." Edward held Louis' hand in his and led the Omega upstairs. 

Once in their closet, the Alpha started picking clothes for his precious mate. "It's really, really cold outside at this hour."

Louis pouts because he already knows this, infact he was coaching Edward on this hours ago. He stands still while Edward puts warm pants on him, a cable knit sweater over his long-sleeved shirt and a beanie. 

"Now remember-" Edward taps Louis' nose with his index finger affectionately. "-if Harry asks, your name is Carlos."

The Omega breaks into a laughing fit and covers his mouth as the magical sound escapes him. Edward is proud to have made his Omega laugh so freely, and let's the phase pass before grabbing Louis' hand. 

"Let's go." Louis is at the door before Edward's done zipping up his jacket. 

"We're walking to the stables first." Edward corrects their path when Louis starts walking towards the area where pack house once stood. 

"The stables?" Louis is confused. "Why the stables?"

"Those two idiots took the car and the garage keys so we need another mode of transportation."

The stables were a minute's walk from their home and once inside, the insulating warmth kicked in. The other kicking from a locked stable right at the end was persistently disturbing, and relentlessly violent. 

"What's that?" Louis enquires, eyes innocently curious. 

"Don't go there." Edward encircled the wandering Omega's waist and hauled him back to the safe horses' homes. 

"What is it?" 

"His name 's Storm." Edward sighs, unlatching the stable of his own horse. 

"He's a person?"

The Alpha laughs at Louis' widened eyes. "No, little dove. Storm's a horse, a very.......volatile beast."

"He sounds angry."

"Bastard's always angry. They've been trying to break since he was born."

"Nobody has?"

"He listens to Harry sometimes but my darling brother is drawing thin on luck too."

"Poor thing." Louis' bottom lip juts out, pitying both his Alpha and Storm. 

The kicking stops and heavy footsteps with clanking hooves against tar begin. It sounds hurried and the heavy huffs of air puts anyone on edge, making Louis' baby hairs stand up nervously. Storm starts to make a pained noise, and it nags Louis but the Omega fists his hands and stays still. 

"Edward-" 

The stable door breaks into splinters and Edward exhales in an annoyed manner. "Here's to hoping he finally runs away."

He leads Louis outside into the wonderful snow and starts to help him up onto one of their most tame mares, but the obnoxious trotting of another horse interrupts him. 

"Don't be afraid." Edward squeezes Louis' hand. "Storm doesn't pick fights."

Nonetheless, Louis' eyes turn to glossy marbles when the creature exits the stables. Storm is a fuzzy grey and more terrifying in build than most horses Louis' seen here, with a twitching leg muscle and standing taller than their current steed. His eyes were red, so obviously not born of natural means.  
It does look like he's about to just run off into the deathly night, never to be seen again. 

"C'mon, get up dove." Edward is silently wary but trying not to show it, as it would be felt through their bond. 

Louis nods and turns away from the creature at the stable door, and as soon as he puts his hand on the other noble grey horse he is pushed. The Omega swallows his shriek because Edward picks him up and steps back, but the previous mare has stumbled when the shove delivered to its ribcage by none other than Storm. 

The intruder neighs and blows out a puff of white air, taking the place of the mare. 

"Put me down." Louis squirms until he's set on his feet. "Is she okay?" 

Edward's got his arms around Louis, and looks over Storm's back to watch the mare gallop into the stable again unhurt. "She's fine."

When his gaze settles again on eye-level, Louis is touching Storm's neck. The Alpha feels a very unmanly scream coming on, and all but shackles Louis' arms behind his back. 

"No touching." He says firmly. 

"He likes it." Louis flexes his fingers in the beast's mane. "I don't think he's so awful."

"You haven't been on the receiving end of his kicks." Edward cringes at the memory of trainers trying to control this free blood spirit. 

After Louis complaining that they're wasting time, Edward fetches another saddle and leaves the bridle. The Alpha needs to flex his taut mind and body, so he plans to walk and use his almost never-ending stamina. 

"Put this on." Edward clips a hooded cape around Louis' shoulders. "It's Marcel's."

It's navy and very soft, falling over the back of Storm's body so the fabric brushes his behind. It kept the heat in, and cold out. 

"You're walking?" Louis frowns down at Edward, fidgeting in his straddle and grip on Storm's mane. 

"Need some exercise." Edward smirks. "Race?" 

"I-I've never raced on a horse before." 

"Just let him do all the work." Edward pats Storm's back near Louis' hip. "He likes you so he'll listen. Tell him what to do."

"How will you- oh." Louis stops himself when Edward flows from his limbs to his back, into his scarier wolf form. 

Louis leans in to whisper in Storm's ear, as that seems to be what he's supposed to do. He runs his finger buds along the course hair and hums when the horse straightens his stride after the instruction. 

They don't actually get to race as the snow depth is very deceptive and Storm has to overcome many ditches that could cost him his ankle. Edward is cautious the whole way across the plain field and when the smoke starts to rise more efficiently, until it stops completely which means Harry found a way to contain the smoke. 

The pack house's zone is crowded with every pack member present, trying to clear up and contain the smoke. Some are setting up tents and when Louis comes to a halt, he can see Marcel at the far end helping Betas do something with logs of wood.  
The faraway Alpha's shoulders stiffen and his gaze lifts from the ground, jaw loosening a little when he sees his mate and brother. Edward changes back and Louis is rubbing Storm soothingly under his cloak's coverage. 

Louis gives Marcel a sheepish wave and the Alpha waves back, dumbstruck and thrown off guard by surprise. What were they doing here?

"Do not go anywhere-" Edward commands Louis' attention. "-that isn't with one of us. No other pack member besides my brothers and I."

"Okay." Louis smiles and bends to kiss Edward's lips. "I promise."

Louis looks back up and everyone is either staring or glaring at him. Not them, but just him and Storm. His gaze lowers and he nudges Storm onward to where Marcel is standing, moving slowly through the snow as the stallion walks proudly.

"Hi." The Omega jumps down with Marcel's help and realises that Hercules is still at the cabin. He needs to not neglect that poor creature. 

"Uh- Hello there." Marcel's confused and worried eyes are set on Storm. 

"He's a good horse." Louis giggles. "Everyone's just mean to him."

"Yeah okay." Marcel pulls away from the brooding champion and his lips twitch when he takes in the cloak that Louis' _drowning_ in. "Mine?"

"Yours." Louis picks at the fabric ends delicately. "It's soft like you."

"Don't let them hear you say that." The Alpha motions to the work he was doing. "I have to be macho and smouldering here."

"Macho is rubbish." Louis rolls his eyes and wraps his arms around Marcel's neck. "I like soft."

"Harry's macho." He pinches Louis' hip and tugs him in, foreheads pressed together. 

"Am I?" A third voice interrupts, making Louis jump away from his mate and gasp. 

The spooked Omega breathes a sigh of relief when the scent that invades his senses is controlled and familiar. He's seen Harry angry, and this doesn't look angry. He's simply _looking_ with no emotion passing through his features. 

"Edward told me he brought you here-" Harry regards Louis, nothing about his harsh exterior softens. "-upon your request."

"Yes." Louis swallows any reservations and tries a small smile. "I wanted to see if everyone was okay."

"That was very sweet of you." Harry compliments, cracking a smirk that seems daunting in view of his dead, not corresponding eyes. "Were you helping Marcel?"

"No." The other Alpha answers instead. "The boys and I were getting wood to the bonfire."

Harry nods at his youngest brother and it seems to be enough thanks for the assistance he's receiving. He turns back to Louis after Marcel leaves. 

"I told you to stay inside, sweet." Harry mutters under his frosty breath. "It is cold and dangerous out here without the walls up."

"I'll be fine, Alpha." Louis reassures him by reaching up and combing Harry's hair away from his eyes. 

"Your fingers are cold." Harry frowns deeply, creating worry lines on his forehead. "Naughty."

Louis just let's his eccentric to-be mate take both his hands and clasp them between his, warming up the cold appendages and kissing the knuckles. 

"Wear these." Harry extracts a pair of gloves from his back pocket and slips them on Louis' hands. "Tell me or my brothers if you want to go home."

"I will." 

"No one else."

"I promise."

"Stay here where I can see you, okay?" 

"Aha." 

Louis looks up again, gaze stuck on Harry's intense stare and sticking his bottom lip out when he asks for a kiss. Harry pulls him in by the sides of his cloak and swoops down to kiss him smoothly, securing one side of the Omega's face and warming up their lips. 

"I think I'm in love with your stubbornness." Harry withdraws and pecks Louis' nose. 

"Right back at you." Louis giggles, the heat in his cheeks showing pink. 

Being a normal Omega, Louis has no duties here tonight but being Harry's - the pack _Alfa's_ \- mate he has a responsibility too. He tries to ensure that it's done to the best of his ability, walking between tents and making lots of new friends. 

"Hi." He smiles humbly as he sits beside a pretty Beta with two little ones. "I'm Louis."

" _Krása_ Louis, hello." She grins back despite her obvious tiredness. 

Louis' eyes grow wide with curiosity. " _Krása_?"

"Yes." She nods and feels deeply honoured when one of her children, her daughter, reaches for Louis and he doesn't deny her. "Do you not know?"

"I don't think I do." Louis supports the swaying young member of their pack and taps her nose to make her giggle. 

" _Krása_ is the title of an _Alfa_ 's mate. It means beauty and amenity."

"But you do not know me yet." His blush does not fade. "I could be none of those things."

" _Alfa_ Harry would not mate with a disgraceful person."

Louis decides he likes the title and he won't reject it if it is their custom. He cradles the toddler in his arms. "What is her name?"

"Violet." The mother answers proudly. 

"And this one?" Louis accepts the other child's offer of a pretty purple flower. "Thank you, love."

"Daniel." She stands her son up on her lap so he can tuck the flower behind Louis' ear. 

"I'm sorry but I never asked your own name." 

"Saraphene, _Krása_ Louis." She sits him down again. 

"You look tired, Saraphene." 

"My mate is helping at the wall." She yawns, covering her mouth and her son cooes. 

"What is his name?"

"Joseph Lussac." She replies, pretending to be wide awake when her son decides he wants to play. 

Louis can't seem to get her off his cloak and just embraces her beneath it. "I will be back."

"Please, _Krása_ Louis, do not intervene."

"Will Joseph hurt you?"

She looks down, head bent at a painful angle that causes a patch of skin to show at the back of her neck. The pale skin is an unhealthy purple and Louis gasps when he sees it. 

"Saraphene-" 

" _Kràsa _-"__

__"Does he hurt you?" Louis reiterates his question. "And your children?"_ _

__Her silence is good enough for him. Louis hollows his cheeks as he thinks, supporting Violet's form with both hands. He couldn't interrupt Harry now while he was busy, but he couldn't let Saraphene and her innocent children go home to an abusive Alpha._ _

__"Will you do me a favour, Saraphene?" Louis kneels in front of her, putting one hand on her knee._ _

__"O-Of course."_ _

__"Go home and put these little ones to bed." Louis puts Violet in her arms. "Then you go to bed. I will take care of Joseph."_ _

__Louis doesn't let her interrupt him, and watches which cottage she goes into. He has a new task that he'll take care of soon, once Harry finds him again or vice versa._ _

__Edward is setting up insulated tents and Marcel has just brought the giant bonfire to life. It's a true accomplishment for the Alpha and Louis catches him smiling proudly, waving and giggling at his excited mate._ _

__He occupies his time by helping other families, never forgetting about Saraphene, by getting to know hundreds of new faces and giving them food or blankets. Those who lived in the pack house lost everything, and he listened to what they had to say patiently. It was shocking to note how much it thrilled most people to have Louis sit with them._ _

__"Nico!" He shouted for the Beta woman who was sitting beside another Beta who looked remarkably like her._ _

__"You're okay?!" She hugs him tightly and flattens her skirt._ _

__"I am." He laughs softly, looking at the flushed other Beta._ _

__"This is my sister, Nur."_ _

__Nur extends her arm and Louis shakes her hand pleasantly. "You have a lovely name, Nur."_ _

__"Th-Thank you, _Kràsa_ Louis. It means light."_ _

__"Does it?" He smiles at when she grins freely._ _

__Nico sits and Louis takes a seat beside her on the smooth log. "I never got to apologise, _Krása_ Louis."_ _

__"Apologise?"_ _

__"I left you when I shouldn't have." She picks Louis' cloak hem off the floor and sets it on his lap._ _

__"No, no." He shakes his head. "If you did, two of us would have been hurt."_ _

__"Are you hurt?"_ _

__"Nope. I'm just fine. You and Nur?"_ _

__"We're okay." She nods gratefully._ _

__Louis is tired by the time the sun starts to show through the tree peaks, and just when he begins to wonder where on earth the gigantuan walls supposedly are the ground begins to rumble._ _

__Some people panic and children pick up their pitch of crying, as most of them aren't aware that the walls are going up. Louis bites his lip and glances around him, looking away from the orange sun to find any familiar faces._ _

__The trees rattle and snow falls in clumps to the ground, some landing on horses and spooking them into abrupt movements forward or backward. Hands settle on Louis' waist and the musky scent of Marcel calm his worry._ _

__"Took 'em long enough." He whispers in Louis' ear, making the Omega giggle and swat his arm._ _

__"Is that the wall?" Louis speaks above the heavy vibrations beneath his feet and the unsavoury sound of something destructive rising above the ground._ _

__"Indeed, pumpkin."_ _

__Marcel wraps an arm around Louis' shoulders, allowing Louis to hook his chin over his forearm and secure the limb with one of his dainty hands._ _

__"They had to go deep down under to find the dungeon before Harry could unlock it."_ _

__Soon enough the promised structures start to slide out from under the ground. Gaps in the ground form a circular pattern all around the territory and walls as wide as five feet, packed with impenetrable concrete and higher than the tallest trees around. The noise causes too much discomfort for Louis and he blocks his ears again.  
The walls completely block the sun out and creates a giant shadow. It stops moving, and clicks into place with a thunderous shudder. _ _

__"It's done." Marcel removes Louis' hands from his ears and kisses his temple. "Look."_ _

__Louis looks at everyone first, and they're perfectly calm with the walls up around them like this. They don't feel caged because there are at least thirteen gates that are around the perimeter of the territory, and most of which Louis can't see because the wall extends into the forest._ _

__"C'mon." Marcel sees Louis yawn and wraps him up in the cloak._ _

__"No, wait. I have something to do."_ _

__Harry doesn't get back to the central camp with the exhausted Betas and Alphas until five in the morning. Louis is leaning against Edward with his eyes half-lidded and hands gripping the Alpha's sleeve so he doesn't fall over from standing all this time._ _

__"Harry's here." Edward was earlier on enlightened on Louis' mission, and thusly promised to look out for the oldest triplet._ _

__Louis' eyes peel open and he straightens his posture, separating from Edward to yawn once and rid his body of this tiredness. Harry is indeed walking towards them with all those Alphas he took with him, right behind. He looks upset and covered in dirt, mud and other unappealing substances. Parts of his clothes were torn and his jacket was discarded._ _

__"Oh Harry." Louis smiles at Harry when the Alpha pulls him into his arms and sighs into his neck. "What happened, my love?"_ _

__"I have a bunch of miscreants among my finest men." Harry sighs, the developing bags under his eyes serve to concur. "The wall could have been up hours ago, but three Betas decided they wanted to slack in their inspection of the wall."_ _

__"Was anyone hurt?"_ _

__"Thankfully, only three Betas."_ _

__Louis sucks in a sharp, displeased breath but he knows how strict Harry can be when tried. He is not to be tested._ _

__"I have something to tell you." Louis secures both sides of Harry's tough jaws and thumbs at the remarkable bone structure._ _

__"Yes?"_ _

__Marcel follows Edward's quiet instruction and they retire to the bonfire where a good portion of the pack has surrounded the blazing ornament. Harry looked at the fire momentarily and it looked like the life of it was sucked into the blackness of his eyes._ _

__"Do you condone......abuse?" Louis could not come up with a better opening line._ _

__Harry gazes down strangely at him. "Of course not, sweet."_ _

__"Not- Not between us." Louis motions with his free hand between their chests. "I mean as a rule for this pack."_ _

__"We honour the courting bond above all else, sweetheart. There is a firm punishment for the person who abuses their mate."_ _

__"Well I was talking to one of the Betas here and she's mated to an Alpha-" He holds his finger up with Harry's quizzical expression takes over. "-and it's very strange I know. She has two babies, Harry, and she has these awful bruises on her body. Maybe their bond means so little to him because she isn't an Omega but abuse is still a cruel thing."_ _

__"Who is the Alpha?" Harry asks strictly._ _

__"She said Joseph Lussac."_ _

__With a heavy sigh, Harry rakes a boney hand through his greasy hair and growls. "I will handle this."_ _

__Joseph is questioned in front of the whole pack, and Louis stands alone to the side with a comforting smile for Saraphene at certain moments. The Alpha is banished when over four witnesses come forth and attest to the Beta's story. Harry gives him a two minute head start before going after him, and the pained howl that echoes through the night rings in everyone's ears until the _Alfa_ returns. _ _

__Edward and Marcel bid Louis a goodnight before they headed back to the cottage with Storm. The Omega wanted to wait for Harry and his mind was at ease again, before retiring._ _

__The pack watches with pride and gratitude swelling in their chest cavities as their ordinarily brash and unkind _Alfa_ rushes first to his _Krása's_ side. Louis looks so happy to see him, and Harry may not be as good at conveying emotions physically but if his relieved exhale and quick embrace is anything to go by, he feels exactly the same. _ _

__It's a bit rusty at first when Louis makes a hasty beeline for him, and Harry has to catch and steady him so they both don't fall over._ _

__"Thank you." Louis whispers, smiling shyly and wiping sweat from Harry's neck with his sleeve._ _

__"I'll do anything you ask of me, at any time." Harry attaches their mouths momentarily._ _

__Later on in the morning, when the fire's died down and two of the Styles triplets are asleep like logs in the guest room, Louis shoves Harry into the bathroom. The _Alfa_ chuckles and obeys Louis by getting into the spacious tub filled with water. _ _

__"I have to do a parole today." Harry finds that's its exceptionally easy to open up to Louis, and runs his wet hands down the Omega's bare back._ _

__"What for?" Louis sits up in his lap, small hands pressing Harry's torso where he could feel his ribcage under the calloused skin._ _

__"Those thirteen gates haven't been in use for decades. I have to make sure they still work." Harry pulls Louis back down to his chest and wraps his arms around the smaller boy's body protectively._ _

__"Rest first." Louis rests his cheek on Harry's shoulder._ _

__"Yes, sweetheart." The Alpha leans closer to Louis' face and attaches their lips in this awkward but intimate angle. "You made me proud today, doing what you did for one of the pack members."_ _

__Louis blushes and kisses Harry's Adam's Apple. "They called me _Krása._ "_ _

__The corner of Harry's mouth twitches and he peers down at his little Omega. "And did you ask why?"_ _

__"They call me _Krasa_ because I'm your mate. Well, future mate."_ _

__"A very near future." Harry plants wet kisses along the column of Louis' throat. "I'll never neglect you."_ _

__The Omega's head rolls back when Harry's teeth latch onto his neck, causing pain and pleasure to spike through him. "Take me now."_ _

__"Mate you?" Harry detaches and sits Louis up so he can worship the rest of his delicate body. "I could, couldn't I?"_ _

__Whining in the back of his throat, Louis tugs on Harry's hair and tries to keep slick from leaving his aroused body. "Don't tease, _Alfa_."_ _

__A possessive rumble leaves Harry's solid chest, vibrating against Louis' tummy. "Tease, my dear _Krasa_?"_ _

__Louis contains a scream when three long, apt fingers get between his legs. His thighs tremble and his short nails press into Harry's biceps, soft pants making his lips quiver. Harry's lips wrap around his perky nipple, and his middle finger penetrates his pink rim._ _

__The Alpha smirks against Louis' chest when a steady flow of slick runs out across his palm. "So wet for me, my sweet _Krasa_. I don't know if I should take advantage of you yet."_ _

__Sexually frustrated and feeling like his brain is trampled into pudding, he whimpers and encourages Harry's finger to move. He rolls his hips and bites his lip, barely containing his moans at how good he's feeling._ _

__"When you're carrying our pups I'm going to feed from you _every fucking day_." Harry sucks the nub until it's pink and past sensitive, Louis' back arched perfectly into a C. _ _

__Harry suddenly removes his finger and guides Louis' hips to his upright member, letting him sink down before the Omega can complain. Louis gasps loudly and Harry wraps one arm around his waist, the other holding Louis' cheek so their kiss is maintained._ _

__"Do you feel good, my sweet love?" Harry asks breathlessly, gauging Louis' shattering expression._ _

__His answer comes in the buck of Louis' hips and slackened jaw of his Omega._ _

__He feels where they're connected, and kisses Louis' shoulder when the Omega wraps his shorter arms around his neck. The Alpha slowly rolls upwards, wanting to buried to the hilt inside his Omega. He wants this to last, because he has something special planned, and stands up in the water.  
Louis nearly slips and Harry holds him tighter, straining his arm muscles painfully to support him. Wide blue eyes look at him worriedly, but Harry kisses his soft lips. _ _

__"I'll never let you fall." Harry assures him, deeper meaning lacing his words._ _

__Louis jerks upward, removing his weight from the Alpha's arms so it doesn't hurt anymore. Harry bumps their noses and nuzzles Louis' neck as wolves do when they're comforted._ _

__Harry walks with wet skin and cautious footing into the empty bedroom, lips slotted into their home with Louis' and his hands on the Omega's bum to bounce him a little. He falls forward with Louis under him and before the Omega can scramble backward he slams all the way in to paralyse him. Louis cries out and fists the sheets aggressively._ _

__The sunlight is shining on half of their bodies, creating a soft glow on Louis' precious form and providing Harry with a flame from within. His eyes are black but easily retrievable from their pit of hunger and lust. Louis stares into those wonderful orbs as he's slowly thrusted into, his burly Alpha taking longer to withdraw because he loves being sheathed in his warmth._ _

__Harry digs his fists into the mattress, and Louis scratches his back. The red lines spur Harry on, and he hikes Louis' leg up on his waist to alter the angle. Skin on skin, and Harry's lips on Louis', satiating their physical desire for each other. Louis whines and Harry assures him with kisses and loving nips._ _

__" _My Krasa._ " Harry drops to his forearms, lower muscles working with perfect precision to be buried as deep as possible in Louis. _ _

__" _My Alfa._ " Louis looks up, eyes filled with admiration and love. He connects their mouths and fists Harry's wet hair, parting his lips to let Harry dominate him. _ _

__Harry sank his teeth into two spots on his body when he pulled out momentarily. He flipped Louis over and ran his hands along the soft, pearly skin with reverent hands before ducking and biting a patch of skin on extreme lower back, nearly injuring him when he meets bone. Louis shouts and comes into the comforter, overwhelmed by this claim._ _

__The birds sang outside for the early morning alarm, and Louis closed his eyes with his neck bent on their highest note. Harry slipped back into him, his knot expanding and tugging on Louis' rim. He parted his lips and his eyes flashed silver, the daggers of his canines digging into the centre of Louis' throat where it was most dangerous to mark.  
Louis laid still as Harry's knot popped inside him and he didn't feel the rush of agony. He wanted to scratch his throat but Harry pinned his hands down, and withdrew his teeth to lick over the bond mark and kiss away the tiny droplets of blood. _ _

___"My Krasa."_ _ _

___"My Alfa."_ _ _

__**_[A/N: Did ya miss meh? ;D - S]_ ** _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Does the [boy](http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/img-thing?.out=jpg&size=l&tid=87577621) with the cheekbones know the [Prince](https://33.media.tumblr.com/4428646e1c06d2d28249c7349a72130f/tumblr_np8x41e7Ab1rwfja4o5_500.gif) is in love with him?


	10. X

**_[A/N: Gonna be a long one.....]_ **

_Louis was his mother's favourite child, and he was coddled in every aspect of life. He stuck to being humble and helping his dad out at the little bakery they owned as a family. He was in charge of the bread, only him. One day, a merchant with black robes and deep green eyes walked in looking for lunch and a soul-mate. He found the latter before the former, and Louis was extremely flattered to have a man of wealth follow him around._

_It was disturbing at first but the merchant was kind and left roses everywhere Louis went for the boy to find. They spoke and Louis got a single black rose - a very rare hybrid breed - from the man with a crisp voice and slight drawl to his words._

_"What do you think of love?" Harry watched his favourite person in the world feed the pigeons outside the bakery._

_"I think it's the only emotion left pure. People just don't know how to interpret it."_

_On Louis' nineteenth birthday they ran away together and a month later Louis was taken._

_Harry lost his mind and destroyed everything in sight for three consecutive days. He felt anguish like the Gods were raining cruelty down on him alone, and he paid off everyone he knew to help him find his beautiful better half._

_He saw Louis next a year later, and the boy was married to who he was promised through childhood. Harry was crushed and his heart became a selfish prune. He visited brothels and bars and fought with people thrice his size every night._   
_Louis snuck out in the dark of night to find Harry passed out in his residence, and took the same black rose he was given by the same man to put by his bedside._

_On October twenty-first, Louis was still a virgin to anyone who wasn't Harry. He didn't allow his husband to touch him and the man was reasonable, as he understood Louis' heart belonged to someone else. Louis wanted to see Harry once more to get closure but when he entered his chambers, the merchant's heart wasn't beating._   
_Louis screamed and wept for his true love's lost life on his chest. The truth was Harry had gotten robbed and the perpetrator had poisoned his goblet. He was still there when Louis arrived, and with one swipe of his blade a second life was lost that night._

_Whether they both went to Heaven or to Hell, Harry did what he did even in living. He laid himself at Louis' feet and there's never been a bind between light and dark half strong as them._

**_[A/N: Yes I went Larry Romeo & Juliet (ish) on you. I'm not even ashamed *cries* ]_ **

Louis woke up to a steady rhythm in one ear and cold air surrounding the other. He made a tired noise and sat up, just so that a sharp soreness can be initiated in his behind which was surprisingly warm. Once his vision is cleared, Louis finds that Harry is staring at him and the rhythm in his ear was his Alpha's heartbeat. 

"Alpha." Louis bent forward and captured Harry's lips with a smile. "Good morning."

Harry's firm squeeze alerts Louis that the warmth near his behind was from Harry's possessive hands. "Good morning, my sweet."

"We're mated." Louis squeaked when he was rolled over and a large body blocked out every sight or sound. 

"Oh yes." Harry nips at his own mark on Louis' neck and the Omega hisses.

Harry's mating mark was less uniform and he did a little more damage that Edward or Marcel. His teeth were rougher and tore the delicate skin a bit more, leaving the mark to be tender and sensitive now. 

"Does this mean we get two days to ourselves?" Louis places his palms on Harry's pectorals, tracing the elaborate tattoos on his skin. 

"Would you mind if we didn't?" Harry kisses Louis' neck, moving down his front to the pudge of his tummy and below. 

"N-Not reall-lly." Louis gasps when warm hands slide between his legs, rubbing the flushed skin and lips nibbled on his hip. 

It was fine if they weren't able to run away for a few days and be alone, because Harry has a duty and now expectations hung above Louis' head as well. 

"Come back to me." Harry kissed the insides of Louis' thighs and made his way North. 

"I'm right here." Louis sat up and Harry leaned forward for a kiss for the ages.

Harry's lips curved upwards just the faintest bit and Louis answered by emitting a soft whine and wrapping his arms around the Alpha's - _his_ Alpha's - neck. Harry gripped Louis' thighs and yanked him down to be under him, their crotches lined up so Louis could feel just how worked up he got him. 

"Roll us over please." Louis inhaled sharply and in quick short breaths when Harry rolled his nipple between his thumb and index. 

His back curved off the mattress and Harry placed open-mouthed kisses down to his navel. He growled possessively and parted Louis' thighs to stick his head in between, admiring the glistening flow of slick leaving his perfect mate. Louis' scent of sweet flowers and strong vanilla rose to his nostrils and drove Harry's inner Alpha mad with lust. 

Fluidly, Harry turned them both over so Louis was propped up on his lap. The Omega smiled and pecked his lips, feeling the wetness from his aroused body dampen Harry's skin. He bit his bottom lip and lifted himself up to hover over Harry's erection, taking his sweet time on the lowering part. 

The Alpha sat up and ground their hips together, the sheets pooling around them in the make-up scene of early morning sex when it was already midday. Louis tossed his head back and Harry pressed his lips against every spot of skin he could, thrusting up once into the wonderful heat that engulfed his mind and sated his inner wolf.   
Louis' smaller hands found themselves lost in Harry's hair or tugging at the silky locks for attention. His jaw has slackened and he let out high-pitched sounds of pleasure. 

"C'mon, my sweet love." Harry put his hands on Louis' hips. "Move for me."

Louis gulped and tightened his arms around Harry, slowly developing the strength to control their movements. He lifted himself up and dropped down slowly, not teasingly but wanting everything about their intimate moments to be slow and loving. Harry crossed an arm around his Omega's body and held him close, burying his face in Louis' reddened neck and whispering all his affections to him. 

"You're making me feel so much, love." Harry looked into Louis' beautiful eyes and memorised their contours, their shine. 

With a gentle smile, Louis brushed Harry's hair away from his eyes and kissed his forehead. "It's because we're meant to be."

Harry couldn't agree more, and he obeyed when Louis pushed him onto his back. His bigger hands held Louis' against his chest because he wasn't ready to let go just yet. Louis kept their gazes pinned and started to roll his hips in figure eights, back and forth until he couldn't contain himself anymore. 

Louis dug his nails into Harry's hard skin, bouncing shallowly on his knees and whimpering when the head of his Alpha's length started hammering his prostate. He kept the angle and clenched around Harry, slick dripping his thighs on Harry's hips. 

"Al-Alpha." Louis was whispering and maybe that meant to stay inside his head, since his eyes were closed and his body was squeezing around Harry deliciously. 

Taking this as a cue to do something, Harry drops Louis onto the cradle of pillows and pins his hands above his head. Buried to the hilt inside him, Harry mouths at Louis' clavicle and absorbs all the sweetness he can as he coaxes louder noises from him. 

Louis' eyes fly open to meet Harry's and the Alpha stretches their bodies out so they can move together as one. The comforter is kicked aside and Louis mewls high in his throat when Harry delivers a sharp thrust. When he starts to move faster, Louis pushes his shoulders and slows him down. Their lips meet again and Harry's arms circle Louis' body protectively as he thrusts deeply. 

When Harry's knot inflates, Louis' come twice between them and is shuddering through the most recent orgasm. He licks his lips and leans down for a kiss, letting the wetness from his lips cause them to stick together for a little while. 

Harry rests his forehead on Louis'. "I know I'm in love with you."

Louis looks into his eyes with a soft, caring emotion shining through as he combs Harry's long hair with his fingers. "I know I'm in love with you too."

Harry's nose nudged Louis' and the Omega smiled up at him, tilting his head up to eliminate the space between their lips. He cleans Louis up with tissues before resuming this position. The Alpha's hands were rubbing Louis' sides and Louis was scratching Harry's scalp with blunt nails. Louis would whine when the knot inside him released a fresh wave of come and it flooded his senses. 

"Does my mark hurt?" Harry ran his index finger down the column of Louis' throat. 

"You're not that aggressive, you know." Louis giggles. "No it doesn't hurt."

"Tell me a secret."

"What?"

"I want to know something about you that no one else knows." 

"My favourite thing in the world is hot chocolate on a cold day."

Harry chuckles and Louis touches the dimple in his left cheek. The Alpha pulls the covers up after rolling over once again so Louis was on his chest, tucking the Omega in so he was warm and content. 

"I have a parole to do today." Harry was playing with Louis' left hand, comparing the sizes and adjusting his ring. 

"You don't sound excited about it." Louis set his chin on Harry's chest after kissing the spot of tough flesh. 

"I've been doing paroles since I was thirteen." The Alpha's paws glide up and down Louis' back, dusting and caressing the almost baby-soft skin. "Each day I hope for excitement to arise during one of them."

The light in Louis' eyes reflect all the darkness that lingers in Harry's soulful abyss. "What kind of excitement?" 

"I shouldn't say that." Harry shakes his head minutely to himself. "If something _exciting_ were to happen, it means lives lost."

Louis bites his lip in understanding and goes willingly when Harry squeezes his shoulders for a kiss. It's always like someone sets a charged spark between their lips whenever they kiss, a sweet union like no other. Trying not to jostle where Harry's knot connects them physically, Louis pulls himself up to hover over Harry. Their kiss is deepened until they both need air, and Louis' blushing cheeks are a sight for Harry's sore eyes. 

"My sweet _Krasa_." Harry hugs Louis around his middle and keeps their fronts flush against each other. "I've waited so long to have you."

"As have I." Louis gives Harry an Eskimo kiss - something he's seen hybrids do before for affectionate gesturing. 

There's three solid knocks on the bedroom door, and Edward's very pronounced clear voice afterwards. "I can smell sex so we're knocking first. Can we come in?"

Harry groans and Louis giggles, pleased to see his mates when they were apart for so long. "Come in!"

Marcel walks in first and then Edward, both Alphas collapsing onto the bed unceremoniously and shifting the joined mates. Harry growls but it's lazy and Louis sits up straight with the sheets around his waist. He yawns behind his hand and Edward cooes before reaching up for that hand. 

"Did big brother exhaust you?" Edward laces their fingers into an oyster-shaped unit. 

"I wanted to actually show you the town today." Marcel provides smoothly. 

"I'd like that." Louis smiles at his youngest Alpha.

"Harry mated you?" Edward asks curiously, no uneasiness behind his question or foul mood. 

Harry's face is hidden under a pillow and Louis doesn't call him out on this strangely light mood, but he's very happy to see Harry like this. "He did."

"Finally!" Marcel exclaims, apologising right after when Louis winces from the high volume. "Sorry, pumpkin."

The Omega feels the knot inside him deflate and he pulls off easily with a slow drag. "It's okay."

When Louis gets off Harry's lap he's drawn into Marcel's arms because the youngest Styles triplet is always the most cuddly. Edward ignores the radiant heat from the sun and slips under the covers, Louis' leg just on his lap from where it's strewn across Harry's hips. 

"You got a parole today, Harry?" Edward is drumming his fingers on Louis' calf. 

"Yes." Harry sighs, revealing his face from under the feather pillow. "Marcel's taking Louis to town today so what are you doing?"

"Could I maybe-" Edward turns on his side towards his brother and plays an alluring Omega by tracing hearts on Harry's muscular torso and batting his eyelashes. "-come with you on the parole?"

Louis giggles into Marcel's neck at Edward's behaviour. Marcel himself barks out a laugh especially at Harry's disturbed reaction. 

"You can come." Harry pushes Edward off him. "There are thirteen gates to check so you can take six."

"Thanks, big brother." Edward likes to feel included in Harry's duties so the _Alfa_ isn't thrust into overly stressful situations alone. "Marcel?"

They find their youngest brother having a quiet but very animate conversation with Louis, amongst kisses and other innocent loving tactics. 

"Marcel!" Edward roars. 

Harry retaliates by growling at his brother then checking on Louis. The Omega had very sensitive ears and they were turning a little red already. 

"Bastard." Harry muttered. "Be a little soft."

"Sorry, baby." Edward stretches over Harry's obstructive form to kiss Louis' earlobe and lips. 

"I'm fine. It's alright." Louis tells them both, giving Edward a small smile to lift his frown. 

Louis' short nails scratch harmlessly at Marcel's bare chest - he has amazing muscle structure but his exterior is far more soft and comforting. He sighs contentedly and listens to Edward request a few things from Town for Marcel to return with. 

"If Harry's mated to Louis now, that means Lou can get pregnant with our babies now." Marcel proposes out loud. 

Blushing to convey his sharp feelings, Louis covers his yawn and hides his face in his arm. Marcel tickles Louis' sides and the Omega shrieks with laughter, trying to fend off the offending hands from his sensitive skin. Louis' giggles are high-pitched and beautiful against the silent midday surroundings. 

"Maybe-" Harry stops Marcel's ministrations with one stern look. "-we shouldn't try for babies now."

This verbalisation causes Edward to pause and frown at his brother. "What are you talking about, Harry?"

"I mean that we have responsibilities. Pressing responsibilities. The pack was attacked yesterday, Edward. Louis was in danger too. Until I get everything within these walls into a system, I think it would be best if we waited."

Louis isn't upset by this because he understands Harry's reasoning, and even if he wants a family with lots of little ones to care for it would be best if the risk factors were lowered to nil before they tried. 

"I understand." Louis voices calmly.

"So do I." Marcel agrees. "I don't mind waiting. Besides, when Louis gets pregnant it will almost always be with multiples and that would be dangerous during his pregnancy."

"Yeah." Edward exhales loudly. "You make sense, brother."

After the blessed silence wears off, Louis dresses in - as always - Marcel's printed T-shirt and underwear before padding downstairs to prepare something to eat. Harry showered upstairs and Edward followed Louis downstairs to use the guestroom's bathroom. 

Louis puts as many carbs as he can into the meal because even though the temperature is stable outside, his Alphas will be burning off the energy in no time. Marcel's the first one done but he and Louis will be the last ones leaving, so they're in no hurry to do anything. 

Sipping his can of Monster, Marcel presses a series of kisses on Louis' neck until the Omega bats off his arms and giggles. "I hate that smell, Marcel."

"But you love my kisses?" 

Louis rolls his eyes fondly. "Of course I do."

"Then-" Marcel picks Louis up off the ground and makes his squeal with laughter. "-that's a sacrifice you'll have to make, isn't it pumpkin?"

"No!" Louis is spun around and he feels an awful lot like a sack of sweet potatoes, but he doesn't find it hard to laugh at his Alpha's . "Marcel!"

The guestroom door flies open and Edward is standing in the kitchen doorway with a grand look of confusion. Harry is treading upstairs carelessly, shaking his head but not hiding his chuckle. 

"What are you two up to?" Edward has a towel around his waist and nothing else, but he's completely dry. 

"You didn't shower yet?" Marcel makes a tsk sound. 

"I was about to but questionable noises intrigued me." Edward helps Louis down from his brother's firm shoulder, only to possessively keep him wrapped around himself. 

"Is that so?" Marcel took a gulp from his can and Louis burrowed into Edward's warm bare chest. 

"The food's ready so eat." Louis tells Marcel when Edward starts walking towards the guestroom with him as prisoner. 

The youngest triplet has the door closed in the middle of his sentence but when Louis doesn't get any hurt feelings through their bond, he knows he isn't upset. Edward carries him effortlessly into the bathroom and sets him down on the counter in front of brightly lit mirrors. 

"Now let me check these little ears of yours." Edward steps between Louis' legs and removes his hands when the Omega tries to conceal his ears. "Hey now."

"I'm okay, Edward." Louis braces his hands on Edward's shoulders. "I promise."

"Regardless....-" The Alpha thumbs at the pink earlobe and the guilt floods their close bond. "I'm so sorry, little dove. I can never truly express how disgusted I am with myself."

"For screaming? Edward, that's hardly a crime."

"No." Pained black orbs leave Louis' gentler blue shade enraptured. "For when it was my fault initially. I did this to you."

"I'm Omega and my senses are.....more vulnerable." Louis reels Edward in for a warm hug, smiling when the Alpha grips him a little tighter and kisses his own bond mark lovingly. 

"Lou-"

"Nah uh." Louis kisses his forehead and the tip of his nose. "None of this. Ever."

"But I _neglected_ you that night, Lou." Edward's finger buds dug into Louis' back and he kept his breathing ragged not by choice. " _Fuck_. If Harry hadn't come for you I don't want to think about what could have happened."

"Shh." Louis brushes through his Alpha's hair. "I'm okay and I'm here with you now."

"I'm still sorry. Eternally sorry."

"I forgave you a long time ago, Alpha." Louis holds their foreheads against each other and kisses Edward's lips slowly, languidly to express his feelings properly. "If you apologise one more time, I'm not showering with you."

Edward's grin curls into a smirk that exposes one dimple and maybe drives Louis' inner Omega wolf wild with attraction. "Bit suggestive there, little dove. I brought you in here to assist me in my choice of cologne."

Giggling freely, Louis follows when carried into the shower. The hot spray hits Edward's back and Louis is lifted a little further up. The Omega smiles against Edward's lips and puts his hand flat on the wall behind him to steady himself. His clothes are drenched and his skin is turning pink but Edward's got him pressed against a cold wall with plump lips attacking his neck. 

It doesn't take the Alpha long to remove Louis' clothes and dump them in a heap outside the shower section, acting quickly to resume their meaningful snogging session. Louis whines when Edward bites his lip and presses closer to him, staring into each other's eyes in search of different things. 

"My little dove." Edward cups the side of Louis' face. "You must be tired."

"What makes you say that?" Louis pushes off the wall to lean all his weight on Edward. 

"I was just fishing." The Alpha laughs, his usual gravely voice still sticking through. "But I do miss being favourably intimate with you, little dove."

"There's nothing to miss, my sweet Alpha." Louis rubs their noses together. "I am yours, as I am Harry's or Marcel's, always."

"You are so _tempting_ , Lou." Edward hoisted Louis' thigh a little higher and sank his teeth in a little deeper into Louis' bottom lip.

Louis' libido was transfixed and made to last him for three strong Alphas, so his body won't give up on him just yet so long as he got a little rest in between rounds. The Alphas didn't see Louis as a sexual object, because their feelings for him ran so deep it was hardly something that belongs in the current century. There were three of them however, and in that fact stood the truth that Louis' responsibility was going to be harder than normal Omegas. 

" _Shit_." Edward muttered under harsh breaths, after setting Louis on his feet and turning him around to face the wall to make the angle easier. He guided himself into Louis' flushed confines. 

The Omega whined and arched off the wall, lip bitten raw and eyes screwed shut as Edward bottomed out. His hand reached behind him to clasp Edward's hip and the Alpha tightened the arm around his waist, applying external pressure to his prostate. Quick breaths left Louis' pink lips, his body rolling backwards to get friction. 

"My little dove." Edward caressed Louis' sides reverently, gripping his hips and drawing him out so he leaned against the wall for support. "I'll take care of you, baby."

Louis' slick production went into overdrive and aided the wild bucking of Edward's hips. His dainty fingers held the Alpha's hair tightly and it should probably hurt a little bit - even for an Alpha - but Edward groaned pleasantly and hiked Louis' knee up. He bent his leg at the knee and Louis gasps when that angle exposes his special spot to Edward's meaningful thrusts. 

After minutes spent trying not to scream into the tiles, Louis warns Edward before spilling into the warm flow of water. He shudders when the Alpha pulls out, turns him around and picks him up before entering him again. The sensitivity is very slight but Louis brushes his own hair back and moans loudly, holding the shower handle with a tight grasp when Edward's knot pops. 

"Open up, little dove. Let me see your beautiful eyes." Edward's warm breath fans over Louis' wet lips and the latter smiles before blinking his eyes open. "Hello there."

Forgetting their state, Louis giggles and kisses Edward's dimple. The skin was warm and welcoming to the Omega. 

"We should actually get this shower done, shouldn't we?" Edward supports Louis with one arm and grabs the shampoo with the other. 

Obliging politely, Louis washes Edward's hair with the lightly scented shampoo that smells of apricots and amber. Edward massages Louis' lower back - the position they're in could lead to aches and knots there - and left a mess of foam on Louis' cheek when he forced an embrace. 

"Alpha!" Louis laughs, choking off at the end when his system is flooded with Alpha seed again. 

"Yes, little dove?" Edward asked innocently. 

Louis took the foam and left a dollop on Edward's nose, both eyebrows and chin. 

"And what was that for?" 

"I love you." 

Louis doesn't get to retract it from fear, because Edward kisses him to render humble warmth and smiles. "I love you, little dove. I do, so very much."

  
* * * * *  


"Is Lou sleeping?" Marcel asks Edward when their Omega doesn't follow him out of the guestroom. 

"Yeah." Edward nods, shrugging his jacket on with a wolfish grin that cuts his face. 

Marcel makes sure nothing will cause another fatal fire in their cottage this time, while Harry and Edward say goodbye to Louis. Harry leaves a kiss on Louis' lips and a soft whisper of his love, before exiting. Edward does the same and soon after they're out the front door to tend to the day's work. 

When Louis wakes up it's two minutes past two in the evening and Marcel is squashing him. He breathes out a huff of laughter and pinches the Alpha's arm to get some pressure off his tummy. 

"So violent, pumpkin spice." Marcel picks his head up from Louis' abdomen and kisses him square on the mouth. 

"You were squishing me." Louis yawns and covers up with a small fist. 

"Squishing?" 

"Squishing." 

"Alright then." Sitting up, Marcel untucks a few of the corners that concealed Louis' body. "When do you want to leave?"

"Now." Louis smiles excitedly. He really wants to explore this Town that he's heard so much about. 

"Splendid." On his venture off the bed Marcel falls forward and accidentally - Louis doesn't believe that - his lips land on Louis'. 

After nibbling on the Alpha's chapped upper lip, Louis pushes him off and stands up with the thin sheet cocooning him. 

"What's this for?" Marcel doesn't pull the cover away - Gods forbid he upset his darling mate - but picks Louis up bridal style and begins the journey up the stairs. 

"Guarding my chastity." Louis swings his legs freely, easily protected by Marcel's shoulder when their bedroom door decides to swing back. 

"Understandable." Marcel doesn't set Louis down as he walks into the closet and gathers clothing. "Can I ask you something?"

"Anything." Marcel puts Louis down on the floor. 

"I mean that....-" He is temporarily distracted when Louis sheds the sheet and his soft nude body fills Marcel's mind. "-that if you don't feel comfortable answering, you are under no um...obligation."

Louis' expression is a little sober as he slips on undergarments and warm black cotton pants. "I know."

Sitting on the bed's edge, Marcel parts his knees and sits his each elbow on either. "Do you really not know who your father is?"

"Why would I lie about something like that?" Louis sits beside him with his blue sweater on. 

"I'm not accusing you of that, Pumpkin. Never." Marcel's green eyes turn into humble saucers. "Would you ever care to find out who he was?"

"I've never....thought about it."

Marcel takes Louis' hand and kisses the underside of his wrist. "Forget I asked, love. It's not important or worth your sadness."

Louis' never gotten worked up over the topic of his father, and now he leans into Marcel's side in need of comfort. Having an unknown parent is the most painful thing, because he could be anyone. His father could be a rogue or much, much worse. 

Without further discussion on this unappealing topic, they get dressed loosely due to the smiling weather. Hercules is as lazy as they come, and when Louis kneels by him to pick him up the shapeshifter rolls into a hamster and recoils. 

"You want to stay here then?" Louis raises an eyebrow. 

Guiltily, the hamster fades into a ferret and crawls up into Louis' arms for a muted hug. Louis giggles and puts the creature back down onto the sofa with a scratch behind the ear and kiss. 

Marcel walks with Louis to the stables, almost falling when the icy pathway is slippery against his boots' soles. They step into the stables under the wooden verander and Louis smiles at the Beta who guards this one of eight stables. 

While Louis is brushing Storm's mane the stallion is blowing out white puffs of air, craning his neck repeatedly to bump Louis' side. The brush slides over Louis' horse's body smoothly and he can't hold his laughter intact when the creature begins to neigh and stomp his foot. 

Marcel knocks on the stable wood to alert them of his presence. He came to check that Louis wasn't in trouble but decided to kill two birds with one stone. 

"Hi." Louis smiles over Storm's back after the horse moved to stand in front of him. 

"Hey." Marcel is holding a simple white cashmere cloak across his arms. "I had this made for you." 

Stepping away from the saddled horse, Louis approaches his Alpha with a faint blush. "It's beautiful, Marcel. Thank you."

"Can I put it on you?" 

"Aha." Louis' smile is bright and unashamed, making Marcel's inner Alpha stir. 

The cloak is long enough to drag on the floor when Louis walked, but he opted to hold it up so the soft fabric was not dirtied. The broach at the front under the hood had a detailed engraving of 'S' with black painted designs forming a circle around it. 

"Styles?" Louis guesses, raising his head and connecting blue and vibrant green. 

"Indeed." Marcel smirks, and it comes across as much less dark than his brothers'. 

The cloak was snow white and stood close to Louis' complexion, although the Omega was slightly tanned. His blue eyes were made brighter and his lips pinker, cheeks rosier. Marcel plants a gentle peck on Louis' forehead and looks down into those cerulean pits of magnificence. 

"I love you, pumpkin spice." Marcel observes every reaction of Louis' when he says it. 

There's no frown or questioning eyebrow. Louis stretches on his tiptoes and presses their lips together for several seconds. 

"You treat me like the most worthy person in this world." Louis' small, cold hand touches his cheek. "If I did not love you as well, I'd be the greatest fool."

The grin on Marcel's face hurts his cheeks and matches the light in his eyes. He kisses Louis' lips then his bond mark. "My pumpkin spice, you astound me."

"Let's go, darling Alpha. I really do want to see your Town."

  
* * * * *  


Town is a quaint, colourful little town that runs along the bank of a river. Nova Scotia is an exceptionally beautiful island and this Town - unnamed but just as glorious - is just an undeniably perfect piece of that. There was a green, untouched river with several bridges joining either side and brightly painted wooden houses that served as a business or home.   
Children who couldn't find an occupation to last them the whole day, roamed the cobble streets not begging or bothering anyone but just being friendly. Some people fished in the river and others were arranging racks outside their establishments. 

Louis stared in awe of all of this, wondering just how much work Harry has to put in to protect all of these people. It's why the Styles Pack never needed the outside world, and the walls could go up without doubt because they were easily sustainable from the inside. 

"There are no warriors here." Marcel is riding one step to Louis' right. 

"Just the townspeople?" Louis listens to the way Storm's hooves clink against stone. 

"Yes."

Once they're spotted by the children, they're targeted by the young ones. None of the youths are gangly and malnourished, which puts Louis' heart at ease. 

"How did they come to be?" Louis asks, laughter rings out like music amongst the children's giggles. 

"Some families would not contribute to constant warfare. Harry would never force anyone to fight for him if their heart was not in it." 

Louis nods as he takes this in, and inadvertently his chest fills with admiration and adoration for Harry. The man who doesn't smile, but has a heart twice in size and silence.   
Across their land, Harry is checking the fourth gate and he gets these feelings loud and clear. In his wolf form his happiness is hardly noticeable but it does cause his chest to swell with pride and for great love to reach Louis in response. 

Marcel comes to a stop before the line of buildings, jumping down and guiding Storm to the right post. He helps Louis dismount and remove his cloak so that it is damaged with all the children rushing to crowd them. 

Giggling with a rush of adrenaline, Louis tries to hug each of them when they come forth. Marcel seems used to this, and just keeps their hands locked for an anchor. 

"They know who you are." He whispers in Louis' ear with a smirk. "They haven't had a _Krasa_ in many years."

"It would mean more to me if I were to be their friend." Louis replies, delight showing in his smile and voice. 

There were calls for him to pay attention to each child and Louis spends at least thirty minutes in the same spot by the horses learning twenty new names and faces. Marcel watches how Louis never falters in his appreciation to have these lovely people around him, and how effortless it is for him to be a social butterfly. 

"Come now, darlings. I have to see your parents too." Louis begins to walk slowly and the children make a path for him. "Thank you very much."

One shout gets his attention even when Marcel's got him halfway through the front door of a fine smelling house. " _Krasa_ Louis!"

It's a little boy with a folded white dress shirt and dirty knees. Louis kneels and waits the boy ascends the porch stairs. "Yes?"

"Moje matka mě naučila dělat korun, mohu vás jeden?" 

Louis looks up at Marcel, amused smile playing on his lips. "I don't understand what he said."

"Some families still only speak in their mother tongue, Czech. He asks if he can make you a crown since his mother taught him how." The Alpha says after analysing the boy's rushed words. 

"How do I say 'If it is what you want'?" Louis asks, covering the little boy's ears. 

"Pokud je to, co chcete."

Uncovering the boy's ears, Louis repeats this phrase and also plans to learn more of this language. It sounds elegant but raw to speak commonly. The boy nods eagerly with marble brown eyes and Louis sets his collar. As soon as he's released him, the boy jumps off the porch and sprints down the street full of energy. 

"I love it here." Louis finds only the smell of sea salt in the air and endless joy hovering in the air. 

"I knew you would." Marcel wraps an arm around his waist and pulls him in for a delayed kiss that they take too long to pull away from. 

"Shall I get a tour?"

"Anything for you." 

Louis kisses him again, lips curved upward and hot, little tongue teasing the Alpha's. He pulls away just when Marcel responds, and gets a possessive squeeze around his hips. 

"This is the chocolate nut house." Marcel introduces, holding open the door for Louis. 

"Sounds delicious." Louis walks slightly ahead. 

Clearing his throat and thinking of dreadful things to keep from busting a knot in his jeans, Marcel leads Louis to the corner of the entry way through another set of doors. 

The back room holds three massive steel tanks, and the aroma of coffee strikes Louis first. There's a wooden ladder in front of each tank, and Louis reads the clear label on each. The first is hazelnut, the second coffee and the third is dark chocolate. 

"Marcel!" An elderly bearded man walks out from behind the middle tanks with open arms. 

"Uncle Reddix." Marcel grins and hugs the acquaintance, patting his back before drawing back. "Louis, this is my uncle Reddix, by friendship not blood."

"Pleasure to meet you." Louis smiles courteously. 

Reddix takes Louis' hand and kisses the middle knuckle. "It's an honour to meet the Omega who tamed the Styles triplets."

When his Omega's hand is back within his grasp, Marcel rubs over the patch of skin where Reddix's lips were with his thumb to remove the scent. Louis chats to the old man for a short while, before it is agreed that he will get an exclusive taste from each tank. He takes a trip to the basin at the corner of the room to wash his hands quickly first. 

"Lou, are you sure?" Marcel is holding the ladder firm while Louis starts to climb. 

"You'll catch me if I fall, won't you?" Louis pecks his lips. 

"Undoubtedly."

The chocolate nut item was in fact, a genuine hollow nut that was filled with melted chocolate of these various flavours. Louis takes one from each tank, and cracks it open carefully. He stands in very close proximity to Marcel when he dips his pinky finger into the warm chocolate center. 

"This doesn't taste like chocolate I've had before." Louis comments, after offering his Alpha a sample with his finger too. 

Marcel sucks on his pinky finger a little longer than necessary and hums around it. "Yummy."

Louis fancies the coffee flavour the most and Marcel buys a tray of each flavour to take home. Next, they visit the cheese factory and Louis gets tastes of over twelve different cheeses, none of which are available outside the wall. He makes friends with a woman who knew Marcel when he was first shown to the pack as part of the leader's newborns. 

"Remember this song, Marcel?" The woman with silver hair and creases in her skin but still no complaint in her body language, asks when the gramophone by the wall starts to play a new track. Her name is Dorothy. 

Marcel looks at the ground with a sheepish grin and nods. 

She nudges Louis' arm. "He first learnt to dance to this song. I taught him me-self."

"Really?" Louis bumps Marcel's tough bicep. "Will you dance for me?"

"I don't remember how to." The Alpha declares dishonestly.

"No one forgets how to dance, Marcy. Show your lovely Louis here what you can do." Someone new walks out from a closed door and tells him. 

This man is Dorothy's mate, and he is almost eight years her senior. He has a bald spot at the top of his head and shiny teeth that smile and he tips his hat when greeting Louis cordially. He manages to get Marcel to stand up bravely and restart the song, Beggin' by Madcon. 

Louis is thrown into being very impressed with his Alpha's dancing skills, solo or after he's tugged Louis up and into his arms to join him. 

"You're a very good dancer, Alpha." Louis compliments truthfully. 

Marcel nuzzles Louis' neck and leaves an army of sweet kisses over his mate mark, growling after. 

"Hey, what's wrong?" Louis tugs on his hair. 

Without speaking, Marcel presses their bodies against each other to be perfectly aligned. His strong arm keeps Louis flush against him, and the Omega gasps in his hold when he feels the Alpha's bulge in his pants. Blushing fiercely, Louis hides in Marcel's shoulder feeling like there's nobody around them. 

"My poor Alpha." Louis gives Marcel's cheek a kiss. 

Marcel keeps his face buried in Louis' neck, and his hips buck forward rather forcefully. If it weren't for the grip he had on Louis' back, the Omega would have stumbled. Louis takes his hand and bids adieu to the lovely couple who welcomed them so kindly. 

They leave through a door opposite to the one they came in through, and it steps right out into a quiet back alley. It doesn't smell foul at all and when Marcel pushes Louis against a wall it doesn't disgust him. 

Dragging in slow breaths, Louis does as asked when asked by Marcel because he is ruled by primal instinct now more than human brain capacity. Marcel removes Louis' pants and sets it on a clean stand next to them. Louis unbuttons his trousers for him, and his left leg is hiked up to be levelled with Marcel's hip. 

There's a deep, dark and lustful cloud over Marcel's usual bright green but it doesn't scare Louis in the slightest. Through their bond he can feel the dire need his Alpha's going through and doesn't protest in the slightest. 

Marcel drops to his knees and starts kissing Louis' inner thigh, sucking and nipping at the skin and worshipping the perfection. Louis' fingers are knotted in his hair, encouraging the Alpha to get closer. Marcel stops beforehand, and stands to his full intimidating height, eyes connecting with Louis' wider ones as he holds him up against the wall. 

One hand on the wall and the other guiding his erection to where Louis would keep his knot warm, Marcel sinks into the tightness with a groan. He curses softly and grips Louis' thighs securely as he starts to move and it doesn't resemble his usual slow demeanour because his hips snap forward and he grunts animalistically from the feeling of his knot swelling. 

Louis sucks in sharp gusts of air and exposes his throat to Marcel's teeth. He whines from pleasure and tenderness, locking his arms around the Alpha's neck and swallowing his screams.   
Marcel bites his bottom lip and gauges Louis' reactions for each pounding thrust. Louis' body jerks everytime Marcel's hips meet his pelvis. His hair is disarrayed and small helpless noises are escaping his lips. 

"Wanna hear you, pumpkin." Marcel thrusts harder, slamming against Louis' heat greedily. 

"C-Can't, love." Louis feels his orgasm coming on, and doesn't fight it when it makes him spill between their tightly pressed bodies. 

"Gonna knot." 

It takes four more harsh thrusts and half as much stamina for Marcel to feel his knot lock him to Louis. He sighs and tilts Louis' head up for a loving kiss, capturing Louis' bottom lip between both of his and lightly sucking on it. He parts his lips and dominates Louis' mouth as payback for the teasing earlier. 

"I love you." Louis pulls him closer and rests his cheek on Marcel's shoulder. 

"As you know I love you, pumpkin."

They clean up with water and tissues stolen from Dorothy's office. Marcel takes great pride in getting on his knees for the Omega. Louis is surprised when he does so and steps back into the wall when he first notices. 

"C'mon, pumpkin." Marcel holds his hips and pulls him back, kneading the firm cheeks and placing kisses on the skin.

Folding his arms on the wall and resting his forehead against it, Louis' hips are pulled back and Marcel dives right in with sloppy licks. The slurping noises drown out Louis' thoughts, his body simply desiring _moremoremore_.  
Marcel holds him still and spreads Louis' cheeks to make access bolder. He licks a thick stripe across Louis' glistening hole, before pointing his tongue and pushing it past the muscle ring. Once Louis is sufficiently clean, Marcel stands up and rubs comforting circles on Louis' soft tummy with his large palm. 

"I'm sorry, dear one." Marcel helps clothe Louis with his proper attire. 

Louis steps forward and wraps his arms Marcel's neck. "Feel better?"

Marcel bends with a cheeky smirk, catching Louis' lips with his own. "Yes. Yes, I do."

"Then there's no apology needed."

They walk out from the back alley hand-in-hand and back onto the main street. The children are sitting by the river and wave vigorously at Louis and Marcel when they walk by, on their way to a little food outlet. 

"Marcel, look!" Louis is pointing to something amidst an array of flavour choices for a greasy snack. 

"What is it, love?" Marcel turns away from the menu and winds an arm around Louis' middle from behind. 

"They have pumpkin spice!" Louis says cheerily, giggling when he smells some and holds the small dish up for the Alpha. 

"Wow." Marcel tastes some of the bright powder. "It's pleasant but not half as much as you are."

Louis rolls his eyes and laughs when Marcel tickles his sides lightly. They place an order for food and sit at a wooden table near the river, overlooking it as they eat. 

"Do you come here a lot?" Louis asks, lifting his strangely named wrap to his mouth for a small bite. 

"It is home." Marcel smiles. "I used to come here everyday but since Harry was made leader, I couldn't do that anymore."

"Why not?"

"The walls weren't up." He shrugs. "Being the brother to one of the strongest pack leaders on this side of the world brings perks and threats."

"Oh." Louis chews on his lip. "Will you accompany me here now?"

"Most certainly." Marcel says without hesitation. "Harry's never been here unless it was to speak specifically to someone or make an announcement."

"Really?" Louis is disturbed by this, considering Harry should be the one most familiar with how beautiful his pack environment is. "I'll have to change that then."

**_[A/N: Why do I cry writing Harry/Louis scenes in this story? I'm sorry for all the smut. I know lots of you fancy it, but does it make anyone (even if it's just a single person) uncomfortable? Tell me please. Who saw the Between Us commercial :') such perfection. QUESTION! Who's your favourite triplet at this moment in time? (I don't favour haha I love 'em all) - S xx]_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Louis' crown](http://41.media.tumblr.com/e5998d71e640c9193171625bab28e7fd/tumblr_myv2k8xjb91sk138co1_1280.jpg) :)


	11. XI

_Harry swears everyday being born with mild schizophrenia is the best thing that ever happened to him. After all, he got Louis because of it._

_Maybe the story he concocted with his well-educated brain was eccentric, especially since he and Louis died at the end of it. When it came to convincing Louis of his true faith and love, it was not easy because Louis already had a boyfriend. Douglas._   
_Harry fought everyday and finally Louis was his. Not only that, Louis gave him three beautiful children to always cherish._

_When they moved to London things were shaky, but they matured and changed with each other. They grew more in love, more passionate every day. Maybe ghosts are real, and maybe love is truly the only thing that gives a person hope._

_"I'll be just ten minutes, love."_

_"Nine."_

_"Eight then."_

  
* * * * *  


Marcel and Louis leave Town after their farewells to everyone, and Louis meets the crown boy once more before departing. The little lad with fluffy hair is lifted up to Louis' mounted level by Marcel and places a rather remarkably constructed headpiece atop his hair. 

"This is beautiful." Louis says in awe. 

There were imperfectly frosted ice crystals locked neatly into a metal-bound crown. Some had decorative shining steel caps and sat without falling. 

Marcel whispers the right words in his ear before Louis thanks the boy. "Děkuji. To je krásný."

They leave the Town on a good note and Marcel takes them up a gentle hill towards the camp surrounding the former pack house. Louis chats to Nur and Nico while Marcel ensures that the fire will be big enough tonight as well to keep everyone warm. 

The Omegas ask Louis about his mating bite and whether it hurt, because it sure looked like it did. He blushes as a reflex of his modesty and assures them that it is no more painful than an ordinary bite mark from your mate. Marcel comes to get him from the circle of attention when he feels the atmosphere wearing on his precious mate, who is developing a headache with the cold and noise. 

"Do you want to rest for a bit?" Marcel asks once they're safely inside their cottage. 

Louis is thrown in balance slightly when Hercules clambers up his back and drapes across his shoulders as a serpent. "No, I'm fine. What do you want for dinner?"

"Anything you fancy." Marcel kisses Louis' neck over his respective mark. "I'm going to shower."

"Alright." Tilting his head after putting Hercules down, Louis plants a kiss square on the Alpha's lips. 

Louis gets washed up and swallows an Aspirin from the guest bathroom before starting his cooking. He learnt a recipe in school that was suited to four people easily, but he'd have to mathematically adjust portions by a large factor to feed three Alphas and himself. 

The beef kofta curry lay on simmer while Louis cut the boiled green beans and peas for the rice. He hears rattling at the door but doesn't bother because he can catch the familiar scent of his two other Alphas very close by. 

"Lou?" Edward calls out to him from the doorway. 

"Here!" He answers, biting on a green bean for the taste. 

"Hello, little dove." 

Louis feels a kiss being branded into the mating mark that Edward left and he smiles when the Alpha pinches his hip gently for attention. 

"Hi." He pecks Edward's lips and goes back to monitoring the boiling rice. "How was your day?"

"Boring, actually." He admits, toeing off his boots at the door once he's gone back. 

"I'm sorry." Louis sticks his bottom lip out in concentration and the wet skin attracts another familiar scent that sticks to it when Louis sucks it back in. 

"I'm going to shower." Edward announces, already halfway up the stairs. 

Instead of a formal greeting like Edward, Louis is plastered to the kitchen counter and kissed fervently until his lips are swollen and his mind is one-tracked. 

"Good afternoon to you too." Louis blushes and peers up at Harry with a hand on his shoulder. 

Harry presses their foreheads together and aligns their lips again, but they just brush past each other rather than uniting in a kiss. The Alpha squeezes Louis' waist and holds him close. 

"I missed you." Harry tilts Louis' head back and kisses his own bite mark carefully with just plump lips and no teeth. "Was the Town to your liking, my sweet?"

"It's beautiful." Louis straightens his back and accidentally bumps their noses together. He giggles. "Sorry."

"Any contact with you is precious, my sweet Louis." 

"You say some of the most romantic things and yet all I hear from everyone is that you're a beast of a man." Louis searches Harry's slowly widening green eyes as they adjust from outside's dullness. 

Today, Harry spent a good portion of his time inside his head thinking about their rut. Well, their rut and the inexplicable twist that came with it. He had to inform Louis first thing or else suffer some disturbing consequences later. 

"What you see about me, is truly all there is." He gives Louis' forehead a chaste peck before pulling away altogether. "It's not too late. I'd like to take you somewhere."

"Now?" Louis briefly looks out the window and admits that it isn't all that dark out yet. 

"Would you like to?"

"Sure." Louis gives him a loving little smile. "After dinner."

"We can eat later." Harry insists, grabbing two appropriate coats from the closet. "Please."

There was desperation Louis' never seen in his eyes before, and he can't find it in his heart to turn Harry down. 

"Okay."

Harry puts the coat on for him when Marcel exits the guestroom and raises an eyebrow at them. "Going somewhere?"

"We'll be back later." Harry answers him while he slips his boots back on. 

"Is that safe right now, Harry?"

"He's with me." The _Alfa_ doesn't seem to appreciate his brother's scrutiny. "Eat while we're gone."

Harry ushers Louis out into the cold with a steady arm around his slim middle. The Alpha keeps Louis in front of him while they make their way to the garage. Some others were awake as well and walking towards where the glow of the bonfire stood, and others were just headed to their cottages. 

Louis catches the eye of a group of Betas going towards the thin group of trees, and they wave at him with big smiles. He waves back to be polite but he's certain Harry's of more importance, though the Alpha ignores them. 

"Where are we going?" Louis asks once they're inside the toasty Audi and Harry's in the driver's seat. 

"A place I used to go." Harry sets the car in gear and reverses with one hand on the wheel and the other securing Louis' smaller palm. 

Harry drives on the slightly rocky roads for ten minutes until they've gone in a loop around the Town. They've been amongst trees for the last three of those ten minutes, and Louis can't see anything beyond the wide trunks. The night has fallen beautifully and Harry keeps the headlights on until they've reached a clearing. 

There's slightly frosted grass everywhere and the trees are dusted with snow like icing on pastry. Harry gets out with a kiss to Louis' knuckle and walks around the back to open the Omega's door. 

"It's really beautiful here, Harry." Louis stands and listens to the soft crunch of snow under his shoe. 

"I thought you'd love it." Harry sounds proud that Louis seems to love it here. "We're not done yet."

Harry leads him to an aged tree that almost touches the moon, with big golden leaves and a strange fruit blossoming between clumps. The Alpha helps Louis onto his back and fails in hiding his dimpled smile - no one ever got to see the rarity besides Louis - when the Omega giggles bashfully. 

"What are we doing now?" Louis locks his arms around Harry's neck and tightens his thighs around the Alpha's waist. 

"We're climbing, my sweet." Harry gives Louis' wrist a kiss that makes him blush before grabbing onto the first sturdy branch. 

They get to the top with Harry's expert climbing in no wasted time at all, and Louis is careful when detaching himself from his back. They're on the highest branch that's joined to the trunk with two other branches, so it doesn't do so much as wobble when they straddle it. 

Harry leans back under the darkness of some leaves against the trunk. "Look up through those leaves."

Louis bites his bottom lip and gets up on his knees to peer over the green shade. He gasps when his head makes it through into the chilly night, but the view that is revealed to him is spectacular. He can see the whole camp from here, and a little bit of the cottages. 

"Careful, sweet." Harry tugs Louis back down to lean against him. "It's amazing, isn't it?"

"It truly is. Thank you for bringing me here." Louis kisses Harry's cheek and swings his legs over the Alpha's thighs so he was in a suitable straddle. "How did you ever think to come up here?"

"I used to be an inquisitive little bastard before they started grooming me for _Alfa_." Harry runs his hands along Louis' thighs innocently, merely seeking the comfort that arose with all the gentle touches they shared. 

"At what age was that?" Louis tucks himself into Harry's arms and keeps his eyes open gazing over Harry's shoulder. 

"Twelve." 

Louis feels deeply saddened to hear that a boy of such a young age was taken to begin rigorous training to become the pack leader. He quietly plays with the ring on his finger. "When was your first fight?"

"When I was sixteen." Harry sounds like he's chuckling at the memory. "Got my arse kicked."

"Really?"

Harry nods and grips Louis a little tighter under his coat. "Got my revenge though."

Louis puts up a small smile and sits up on his own weight, shuffling backwards a little so he has room. Harry is upset by this and a soft disgruntled growl leaves his chest as he reaches for Louis again. 

"Why'd you bring me here, Haz?" Louis stops him and asks bluntly. "I can feel that you're uncomfortable."

"I have something to tell you." Harry takes Louis' hand - if that's all he can have for now. "Our rut is coming up. At most, a week away."

Nodding, Louis is so thankful to have the tree hiding his pink blushing cheeks. 

"It's more....my brothers' rut because I've never been through a rut in my entire life."

It's the harshest truth about himself that Harry's ever had to tell and he's _terrified_ that Louis' going to run away screaming. He feels slightly relieved when Louis doesn't retract his hand, instead waiting for him to carry on. 

On impulse, Harry reaches for the button of his own coat and undoes all of them. He unbuttons the top three black buttons of his shirt and can sense Louis' confusion through the bond.   
Taking the hand of his extremely patient Omega, Harry places his palm over his heart. 

"What do you feel?" He asks. His eyes have begun to glow silver because the black night is hard on his human mismatched eyes. 

"Your h-heart." Louis stutters quickly. 

Harry's made to panic when he feels Louis' little body fill with ear. He knew this would happen and although he predicted it, he isn't prepared for it. He isn't _prepared_ to lose Louis' trust and love, never ever. 

He hastily gathers Louis in his arms and kisses all over his face tenderly. "Don't ever be afraid of me, sweetheart. I'd never lay a hand on you. I'd never hurt you or let anyone else bring harm to you. I'm in love you, Louis. I'm madly in love with you and do you think I'd not lay myself down on any threat for you?"

All through his mini speech, he was so worked up that he didn't notice Louis cupping both sides of his face until he's finished. He settles from his uneasiness and Louis rests their foreheads together. 

"Tell me." The Omega coaxes, comforting Harry's spooked inner wolf by rubbing small circles into his jaw. "I'm yours and I'm here to listen."

Harry thanks him with a kiss to his temple. "I don't get ruts because I'm dead, Louis. I _feel_ dead yet I breathe and have a knot. It doesn't make sense and I can never explain it.   
"I was born dead and something gave me life. To this day, I know not what it is but it wasn't human. It didn't harm me or ask for anything. I felt you deserved to know that."

Louis doesn't respond for a whole minute but he keeps rubbing those small circles. Harry waits and feels nothing through their bond that's indicative of what's going through Louis' mind. 

He goes on however when he gets no response even when he's patience has worn thin. "If you are afraid of this, even if it's not me exactly, say so. Louis, say something. I must know what is going on with your thoughts."

When he's about to let his words flow out, Harry stops Louis from speaking by accidentally interrupting again. The Omega politely closes his mouth and waits with amusement alight in his eyes for Harry to take a break. 

"If you choose to leave us, I need you to say so. I can't stand your silence, Louis."

He can't hold back after that, and Louis breaks into a soft giggle that he hides behind his hand. It's safe to say he's stunned Harry into staring ineloquently at him as he tossed his head back and giggled. 

"You are amused by this?"

"No, Alpha." Louis shakes his head and clears his throat. "You seem set on the probability that I'll leave you and your brothers."

"Well-"

Louis' finger comes over Harry's lips and the Alpha falls into silence. He would _never_ normally but Louis is _his lovely little Omega_ that he'll give a limb and his heart for. 

"That - what you told me - does not make you any less of my Alpha, Harry." Louis tells him. "I love you no less."

The Omega knew this story of Harry's only partly, and he knew creatures existed that could give life. He wasn't going to hold this against Harry ever, because he had absolutely no control over it. 

Harry breathes a sigh of relief and zeroes in for a kiss on his mating mark that was still pink and sensitive. Louis giggles under his breath when the Alpha holds him tightly and nuzzles the mark on his throat. He runs his fingers through Harry's hair and tugs at the ends to get Harry to look up. 

"You are exceptional, my sweet. I know of no Omega who would stay with a monster like myself." 

"Haz." Louis stares into those glistening silver eyes and leans forward to kiss him. "You are not a monster to me, you're not even pack _Alfa_. You are my mate and I'm just as madly in love with you as you are with me."

"Thank you." Harry nuzzles Louis' neck a little more eagerly. "Thank you, my love."

They don't separate physically and Louis puts his cheek on Harry's shoulder, enjoying the embrace of his Alpha. Harry rubs Louis' back and occasionally plants a sweet kiss on some spot of skin. This comfortable silence goes on for an amount of time they both don't know of. 

"Let's hop down before we get stiff." Harry offers. 

Louis agrees and follows Harry down close to the ground until the final leap comes and he feels slightly nervous. 

"Come on, love." Harry looks up at the branch that Louis' stayed seated on. 

"It's a long way to fall." The Omega bites his lip. 

"You won't be falling, sweet." Harry reaches up and circles Louis' ankles with his large hands. They wrap completely around the slightly warm skin. "I'm here, aren't I? Jump."

Louis' eyes widen. "I'm not jumping, Haz."

Harry retaliates by tugging on Louis' little feet and pecks one of the ankles with his sharp canine grazing the skin when it's close enough. Louis yelps and fails to scramble back. 

"You're spooked by such delicate touches, my sweet." Harry's glowing eyes is all Louis can see of Harry since his senses place him indoors at this hour. 

"Am not." Louis sticks his bottom lip out and jumps down into Harry's welcoming arms. 

Harry keeps him caged, pressed intimately close with their faces less than an inch apart. The Alpha smirks in the darkness and swats Louis' bum. "Are to."

Not shortly after, Louis accomplishes one of the impossible by laying down on the grass and forcing Harry into joining him. 

"It's cold and this is pointless." Harry grumbles in complaint as he sets his head on Louis' cushioning tummy. 

They stare up at the sky with Louis' hand playing with Harry's hair and the other joined with the Alpha's. There are no clouds tonight but plenty of stars to guide them towards constellations. 

"Have you been in your wolf form recently?" Harry asks. 

"Can't say I have." 

"Change now." Harry sits up and takes both Louis' hands to help him stand. 

Thinking no risk behind it, Louis shrugs and obliges. His white wolf melts into shape and his human bones snap into place. He's small but clean white and his eyes are exactly as his human form.   
Harry watches the transformation in awe for the duration of it, before ducking his face and switching himself. It's not half as painful as it was when he first did it, as he's now desensitized. For everyone else, changing became easy over time but for Harry it seemed to never lighten up. 

Louis nudges Harry's cheek with his snout, whining when the Alpha nudges back. He licks a part of Harry's neck and walks around the Alpha, fitting himself under his throat where it's warm. Harry huffs and affectionately butts Louis' bum forward. The Omega looks back at him with a cheeky little snarl. 

That spurs Harry's throaty growl and his prowling step forward. He lifts his head off the ground and stands as he does, with deep pride, when he's addressing the pack. Louis sees this as an opportunity to fling snow at him with his tail.   
Harry pounces on him then, and there's no escape. Louis makes a run for it but Harry grabs him with teethless jaws and holds him down by his neck. 

The Omega would be laughing if he were human, but Harry can sense that all too clearly with their bond. He looms over Louis who is on his back and licks a stripe on the Omega's tummy. It's usually seen as playful and Louis wiggles about in the snow with amusement shining through in his soft sounds.   
Taking one last frosty breath, Harry keeps Louis on his back and falls on his front. His head rests on Louis' soft chest. 

Louis forces Harry to let him roll over and curls up against the Alpha with his tail around him. Harry adds to the layers with his own tail and body folding around his Omega's for protection.

  
* * * * *  


" _Alfa_ Harry!" One of the shop owners who served Louis and Marcel their food earlier, gasps at this new sight. 

Harry gives her the recognition he can with a nod and that seems to be truly enough. Louis squeezes Harry's hand and gets his waist steely gripped instead by the same arm. 

The children are especially excited to see Louis again, but more so now because their leader is here with him. They run to the Omega and all share in turns for hugs and giggles, before Harry has had enough and pulls Louis against him. 

"They're children, Haz." Louis assures him with a smile. "They love you too."

"I want no children but my own to show me affection or expect affection from me." The Alpha has put up the usual walls he does when he's dealing with the pack and not Louis alone. 

"Just be nice to them." Louis looks up at him earnestly. "Please."

People are standing on their shop porches and staring out from the room windows to witness this. Their _Alfa_ never visits them for mere novelty of it, and they are well prepared to win his favour. 

They watch Harry give Louis a kiss - not the other way around - and allow the children to swarm around him. Louis seems won over and smiles fondly as he watches Harry interact with the youngest pack members. 

" _Alfa_ , my mamma says you put up the wall to keep us safe." A little girl with red hair and freckles on her nose has tugged Harry to his knees. 

"I did, yes." Harry answers her, glancing at Louis and getting an encouraging smile. "Do you....think I should not have?"

She thinks about for an exaggerated moment, enough time for about eleven other children to grab some item of Harry's clothing in their little fists. 

"I trust you, _Alfa_." She eventually says and surprises everyone by kissing Harry's cheek before running off. 

Harry shortcircuits because of this deed and looks at Louis for guidance. The Omega kneels next to him and doesn't give the slightest indication that he's doing anything wrong. 

"Your ring is beautiful, _Krasa_ Louis." Another little girl - they seem to be the very bold ones - comes up to Louis. She has a pink streak in her hair and her eyes are so grey they look almost violet.

"Thank you, love." He looks at her with a special smile and Harry looks at him. " _Alfa_ Harry gave it to me."

It goes on for as long as it takes Louis' knees to start hurting. He stands and dusts off his pants, soon followed by Harry who grabs his hand. 

"Did you have fun?" Louis asks while they're on their way to the first open shop in sight. 

"I wish I could lie to you and say no." Harry glances at the river's edge where the children where responsibly gathering their things. 

"They're precious, I know."

"We'll have our own one day." Harry kisses Louis' temple and pulls him in close. 

They're welcomed into many stores, but Harry refuses most because Louis has to be going home they go to a bakery only. Harry doesn't say much but having him in the store seems to be just about enough for the lovely couple that owns the establishment.   
Louis refuses anything for free and Harry hears that much, so he comes up behind him and offers up the appropriate amount of cash to pay for everything. They get macarons and Louis buys an extravagent cupcake that's gooey inside and iced at the top with sugar roses. 

The couple gladly supplies them with little treats for the children outside and although Harry doesn't hand them out himself, the public knows better. 

"I must say thank you, sweet, for taking me there." Harry says on their way back to the meadow where the Audi is parked. 

"You're welcome but I didn't force you to have fun, you did that all on your own." Louis takes a swipe of icing with his finger and licks it off. 

"I'd never have gone on my own." Harry steps between Louis' legs when the Omega is leaning against their car's hood. 

"Why not?" Louis breaks a chunk of the cupcake and holds it up to Harry's lips. It's too decadent for him to eat it by himself. 

Harry guides Louis' hand to his mouth and swallows the offering. "I would not have thought to."

"Those kids love you and their parents more so." Louis finishes the cupcake with edible wrapping. "Now you have a reason to go."

"I'm still too busy most of the time to actually visit them." 

"You'll make time. I have faith in you."

  
* * * * *  


"You two have been gone for hours." Edward calls over the couch, voice soft but unappreciative. 

"We have macarons." Louis tells him and Marcel. 

Harry goes upstairs to shower and the youngest triplet jumps at the insinuation that his brother went to Town. Louis winks at him from the kitchen where he warms up some of the food and finds all the dishes taken care of. 

"You took him?" Marcel asks when Louis sits next to him with his plate. 

"I did." Louis smiles gleefully. "He bought little cakes for the children and the children loved him. The latter happened before the former, mind you."

"And?"

"And I bought a really big cupcake." 

"Is that code for-" 

"It is not a code." Louis gives Edward one of his kitten glares. 

"Where's the wrapper then?"

"It was edible."

"It's a code." 

Marcel tosses a cushion at his brother and sets the television volume on a reasonable number. Louis sees that they're watching some kind of action film and gets up before either of them make a grab for him. He needs a shower before any and all intimate activities.

"Shower?" Edward asks when Louis rounds the couch. 

"Yup." Louis washes his plate and heads upstairs for the bathroom. 

He finds Harry at the bathroom counter after his shower and smiles at him while he sets his towel on a rack. 

"If only I'd waited two more minutes." Harry secures his waist and kisses his neck. 

"If only." Louis offers him more access for the Alpha nibble on. 

Harry's large palm comes around to Louis' front and applies pressure to his lower abdomen, sneaking under his shirt and yanking him backwards. Louis mewls into his mouth and turns around to loosen to towel around Harry's waist. The Alpha repays the favour by tearing through Louis' clothes viciously until Louis is breathless and bare for him. 

Just as Louis' about to produce the first sign of his slick, Harry gives his body one last caress before letting go. "Shower quickly, my sweet. You've been away from my brothers for too long and I too would like to have you in my arms again."

Louis' left there in the brightly lit bathroom with a closed door and window, slightly frowning but also blushing madly to himself. He cleans himself up thoroughly and feels especially soft afterwards, like he could bundle himself up with Hercules in a fluffy blanket and fall asleep. 

He slips on sweatpants and one of his own sweaters that remind him of Niall and Alyx back home who used to host one too many movie nights on a single mattress bed. He misses them and he knows there's no way to contact them via technology since most cellphone towers were recently destroyed. 

He doesn't leave the bedroom and sits at the small table by the window with a stack of paper and an old pen. Hercules finds his way from downstairs to Louis' lap as a lynx pup who nuzzles Louis' tummy and purrs. 

"Hi there." Louis scratches behind the creature's ear and clicks his pen as he starts to write. 

He hears a knock on the door before the scent that follows Marcel everywhere enters the room along with its owner. Louis looks over his shoulder at the Alpha and smiles when there's a black mug in his hand. 

"What are you up to, pumpkin?" Marcel sets the mug down beside Louis' sheet and puts his weightless hands on the Omega's shoulders. 

"Writing to Niall and Alyx." Louis' head falls back against the Alpha's abdomen when those hands start to politely massage his shoulders.

"Oh that's right. Would you like to visit them again?"

"I would." Louis smiles at the sleeping lynx in his lap that's grown slightly. 

"We'll go back." Marcel presses his lips to Louis' right cheek. "Once the Games are over and Harry doesn't think us crazy by making the suggestion alone."

"I'll make an effort to change his mind."

"We're watching a film downstairs, and would appreciate your company." 

Louis rolls his eyes and giggles when Marcel gives him one last gentle squeeze before pulling away. "I'll be down in a second."

Marcel leaves and Louis sips his hot chocolate - that he shall enquire on who made when he gets downstairs - while he finishes up the letter. He seals it in a white envelope and leaves it clipped to the pen on the desk. 

There's an explosion just as he leaves the confines of the bedroom and tries to steady his breathing when he puts it down to the drastic volume of the television. It becomes soft at once since one - or all - of the triplets must have realised that he's coming to join them. 

"Good, Lou's here now we can vote on whether or not to change this stupid movie." Edward is lying against the couch back with his arms crossed. 

Louis sets his mug down in the sink before entering the lounge and glancing at the TV. He doesn't get any idea of what's going on so just sits next to Marcel who has a large gap to his left and slips under his arm. 

"That's not fair." Edward accuses and Harry has a set frown that looks like he's solving a puzzle. 

"He's right, sweet." Harry adds - nobody reacts with surprise lest he give up this light mood for the case of grumpiness. 

"I disagree." Marcel wraps Louis up in his arms and nuzzles his neck so his mate laughs. 

"I can be in the middle." Louis wiggles off Marcel's lap and plops down between Harry and him. 

The extremely warm blanket they're all sharing seems to run for miles and is immediately fitted around Louis as well. Edward sets his head in Louis' cross-legged lap and the long end of the blanket is claimed by him. Hercules will not be left out and tumbles down the stairs to join them, still as a golden lynx pup. 

"Who's getting up to change the movie?" Harry asks when they realise that was the objective of all this. 

There's a unified groan that everyone emits until Louis takes hold of Hercules and whispers a small instruction to him. The lync becomes a lemur and he hustles along the couch to jump on the cabinet by the TV. 

"Did you train him?" Edward asks. 

"He's very intelligent." Louis responds proudly. "What movie do we want?"

"Nothing sad." Marcel says, leaning against Louis' side.

"Nothing fucking stupid." Edward supplies. Louis pokes him arm for bad language. "Sorry, Lou."

"Nothing loud." Harry has his lips pressed to the skin behind Louis' ear when he says that. 

They pick Oceans Eleven and Louis smiles when he remembers first watching that movie as a kid with Niall. The two friends had snuck off to the cinema where the bigger students were and watched from right at the back. Hercules is careful when he puts the disk in with opposable thumbs and comes back quickly to Louis' lap where he gets a rub behind the ear once he's a pup again. 

Louis manages to fall asleep an hour in, and he means no disrespect to Clooney or Pitt. He and Marcel seem to both drift off, leaning against each other as they sleep. The only difference is Louis gets carried up to the bedroom by Harry and Edward swats Marcel with a cushion to wake him up once the movie's over. 

"Get up." Edward is fond enough of his sibling to help him ascend the staircase in Marcel's drowsy state. 

Louis is asleep with Harry curled around him. Edward makes a point of setting his head on Louis' tummy as he sleeps, and Marcel curls up on Louis' other side. 

When the crickets have made their presence known at around midnight, Louis shifts in his sleeping position and three other bodies move in synchronisation. Upon feeling the extra weight, Louis smiles with his eyes closed and presses a little closer into his pillow, incidentally getting Edward to bury his face in his back. Louis tries not to whine when a single shock spirals up his back from the bite mark that was placed there. 

Louis is awoken just when he's drifting off by a noise. He frowns into his pillow and tries to ignore it but it's too close, too much like a broken voice. A hand wraps around his neck but he doesn't scream because he knows this scent and feel of skin. 

"Shh." Harry whispers in his ear. "I can't sense anyone else in here."

Harry gets up from under the covers and puts Marcel's arm around Louis to make up for his absence. 

"Be careful." Louis tells him when the Alpha's about to leave and he's almost crushed against Marcel's chest. 

"Extra careful." Harry smirks like it's a cunning joke to him and leaves with the door closed behind him. 

Nothing happens for the next few minutes when Louis is paying extra attention to their bond. He brushes Hercules' tail and the creature awakens with wide eyes and a befitting growl. Louis instructs him to check on Harry and the pup becomes a glossy black dragon as it pries the door open and slips past. 

Hercules sits on Harry's shoulder and the Alpha doesn't flick him off, because he's watching the display on the TV screen. There's a frightened girl with one braid on her shoulder, looking into the camera on her end as she hurries to deliver a message through any satellite connection.   
When everyone is downstairs after the worry becomes them, Louis gasps as he recognises the girl. 

"Do you know her?" Edward asks, seated on the couch behind him. 

"Y-Yes. She goes to my school." Louis looks past her at the background and listens for anything out of the ordinary. "That's one of our dorm rooms. Turn the volume up please." 

Marcel does so and everyone watches Louis watch the screen. His expression remains the same: troubled. 

_"Please help us, if anyone is out there. Something attacked our school and I think almost everyone is dead. I don't know what it was, it looked like a wolf but sounded like something bigger. If someone is seeing this, we need help. Please."_

"Are we-" 

"No." Harry interrupts Marcel, and shuts off the television by unplugging it at the wall. "We do nothing."

Louis leans against the pillar with his sweater paw blocking his mouth, until he hears this. "Harry, they're asking for help."

"We don't respond to outside threats." Harry has suited up as _Alfa_ once again. "We protect our own."

"What about the threat that creature poses?" Edward speaks up.

"There are two possibilities. She's lying, or she isn't." Marcel takes to answering that question. "If she isn't then we have solid concrete walls with thirteen guarded steel gates. That creature can't get through."

"What about humanity?" Louis says, feeling hopeless and helpless in the same breath. 

"We're shapeshifters, love." Edward tells him. "Humanity died down a long time ago."

Louis sighs and looks at Harry, hoping with what he has left that the Alpha will understand him. Niall is there, Alyx is there. He can't go back for them alone because he doesn't know what that creature is capable of. Harry gives him an apologetic shake of his head before looking away. 

He doesn't look at any of them when he goes back upstairs wordlessly. He's not fighting them verbally when he's tired and Hercules is pulling his arm down by clinging to him. 

"Lou!" Marcel calls from the base of the stairs. 

Louis closes the bedroom door and falls onto the bed in as small a ball as he can make.


	12. XII

_The State of New York just worked their hardest, using their hard-earned tax money to build the toughest prison around for the most vile of the criminal worlds. Harry was thrown in his own fresh cell at the beginning of the year. He wasn't the biggest but he was the deadliest._

_Louis had come to join him after his last burglary went wrong. His partner deemed it better to have the whole booty rather than just half. He was given as a reward to the notorious Styles for the latter's good behaviour, and every other prisoner was very unappreciative._

_Louis slapped Harry the first night he tried to touch him. Harry growled and pinned him to the wall where every possible visible angle was excellent. Despite all the sins Louis' committed, his virtue was always intact. Harry spent hours that night making sure every last glimpse of his virginity was claimed wholly._   
_Every night carried on that way, and soon enough Louis stopped resisting. Harry noticed this change and found that having Louis on his front will never outweigh the remarkable sensation that started with having Louis on his back, looking up at him with those beautiful blue eyes._

_Harry's trial stood and Louis waited for them to bring him back before asking the verdict. The affection of Louis threw Harry off and he frowned, pushing Louis away when his arms wrapped around him. The verdict was the first death sentence the prison would deliver. Harry had to let Louis go before that day came._

_Weeks passed and Louis had his own trial, sentencing him to fifteen years in prison. Harry never touched him when they were alone, but outside their cell he always had a hand on him. Louis would sometimes pull away, but Harry hated that and would grip him twice and bite some part of him._

_The night before Harry's sentence, Louis still didn't know his fate. Harry wanted to hold him that night but Louis had been upset with him for weeks. The next day Harry is tied down to a steel table with a bag over his head and three poisons are pushed into his body. It takes three minutes for the twitching to stop._   
_The officers to remove the bag from his head find a face that lacks dark hair and dimples. Harry got out somewhere between the door and the table._

_Fifteen years Louis spent thinking Harry was dead. He stayed without a cell mate and spoke to no one. The prisoners here were too interested in their own business to bother with him, and at the end of his time when he was close to thirty-five Louis got to walk out._

_He walked out of those gates with a small satchel and old clothes, prepared to hail a cab. The face he met at the end of the pavement was one he's dreamt of for a good portion of his life. Dark hair and dimples._

***NARRATOR'S POV***

Louis didn't move from his spot on the bed, not when there was knocking on the door and not when he started to feel the hurt his mates were feeling downstairs at his absence. 

He's scared for his only real friends who he hopes and prays are still alive in that place. He wishes he had the resources to do something about this, but he doesn't now and whatever chance exists that his friends are alive is lost. 

He cries into his pillow and downstairs the Alphas feel the pain through their bond. Harry feels it and he wants to pluck his heart out and burn the gap. Edward doesn't waste time in rushing upstairs and knocking on the door to warn Louis he's coming in. 

"Hey, Lou love." Edward climbs onto the bed and takes Louis' pillow away from his face. "I know you're hurting."

Louis tries hiding his face again but Edward keeps his head raised and wipes away all the tears with his shirt. The Omega sniffs and accepts his hug. 

"I want to help them." Louis grips Edward's shirt in his fist and makes an appreciative noise at the warmth offered to him. 

"I know, beloved. I know you want to." Edward kisses his neck and rubs the lobe of his ear when it starts to turn pink. He waits for Louis' crying to stop before pulling the blankets up and wiping away the tears. "Now love, do you know why my brother said no?"

Louis nods and pulls himself a bit more upright. "It's too dangerous."

Edward chuckles and puts his free hand on Louis' warm tummy. "Nothing is too dangerous for my mad brother, although going beyond our newly resurrected walls is a new degree of madness. Not even Marcel knows what that creature could be and it's too far away to ask for help from other clans. Do you know what I heard?"

Looking up with interest, Louis shakes his head. "What did you hear?"

"I heard that a total of three packs were ruined on the coast because of rogues. Two in the midlands."

Louis stares at him for a stricken moment, as this news is far from comforting. "Harry-"

"He knows. Strategically speaking, that means the rogues are coming for the borderline packs from both sides."

Rubbing his eyes, the nervous Omega kicks off the sheets and looks out the window for just a moment at the silent night with settled snow. He just got this life, and here he is in the middle of war-like circumstances. 

"What's going to happen?" Louis asks softly, fearfully as if anyone with the wrong intentions could hear. 

"Nobody goes out those gates." Edward states. "The walls are strong enough to keep us protected."

Louis wishes that was enough to settle the burning pit in his tummy. He feels a little dizzy and closes his eyes to remedy that.

"Marcel and Harry are waiting for my word." Edward bumps Louis' cheek with his nose playfully. "Do you think it's safe to call 'em up?"

The Omega feels like answering but instead of words, something more painful is rising up his pharynx. He pushes off Edward and scrambles out from under the sheets to get to the bathroom in time. The Alpha's worry follows him there, and he kneels by Louis as he heaves into the toilet. 

Two other people appear after they got distress signals through their bond with Louis. Harry's known for keeping his composure but even he falls against the tub and catches Louis when he feels faint and sways weakly. 

"Get the pack doctor." Harry orders Marcel, who takes off immediately. 

Edward gets water from the sink and kneels down on the ground to try and make Louis drink. 

"Hey. Hey, love." Harry holds him carefully, like he's priceless and rare. "Lou, drink please."

Louis feels the churning in his stomach worsen and he groans, hiding in Harry's shirt when the glass comes closer. He manages to swallow two to three sips of water before he's passed out in Harry's arms. 

"Where the fuck is he?!" Harry shouts, picking Louis up off the ground to carry him. 

"They'll come." Edward assures him, less frantic than Harry is. 

Louis' eyes are closed and his breathing is laboured but Harry helps him all that he can. He props him up with pillows and sits close to him so that he can monitor the Omega, while his own worry eats at his chest. He can handle twenty deaths in his pack but he will be plunged into melted gold before he sits back while his little Omega is hurting. 

"What happened?!" Marcel flings himself into full-throttle protective mode when he walks back in with the pack doctor. 

He throws the pillows away and replaces it with himself, keeping Louis upright and maintained. 

"Diagnose him." Harry grits out with silver eyes. 

The doctor hardly has any access because the three Alphas crowded around Louis' unconscious form. He sets his bag down and Harry pulls off the covers from Louis so he can work. 

"What are his symptoms?" The female doctor asks first. 

"He felt dizzy maybe a minute before he started throwing up." Edward answers her, because he had been there with him from the start. 

She checks for a fever and presses his abdomen just a little. There's a growl that erupts from Harry's chest but even he doesn't know why. The doctor seems pleased by this however, because she smiles and retracts her hand. 

"Put your hand where mine was." She orders Harry, looking directly at him alone. 

Harry's jaw goes rigid with distrust and irritation, because he wants Louis back awake with his mesmerising eyes looking back at him. He wants those little crinkles at the corners of his eyes back too. He does as asked however, and the realisation seems to dawn on Marcel then him. 

"Oh my-"

" _Fuck_!" Edward's fingers course through his hair harshly when he realises as well. 

No birds are singing this morning and the sun has just begun to show signs of a new day. Marcel is pacing the room and Edward looks so pale he could be dead. Again. Harry's not moving his hand from Louis' tummy and after the warmth spreads to his fingertips, he doesn't think he ever will. 

The _Alfa_ is frozen and staring at his still mate's abdomen. His palm is warm on the smooth, flushed skin. Beneath that skin he can feel _something_. 

It's alive and more than one. His senses are tailored so well, so precise and sensitive that he can feel clearly what is there. His babies. His under-developed, growing babies. 

"Congratulations, Alphas." She says with a smile. "Congratulations, _Alfa_."

Harry is still frozen and statuesque, torn between a thousand different emotions. Edward is masking his thrill and Marcel is merely hiding in Louis' waist with a smile. 

"Babies." Harry's disorientation finds himself rubbing Louis' tummy with two hands. "Our babies."

The doctor leaves with Marcel listening closely to her advice. She tells him to make sure Louis eats but nothing he needs to chew. Fill him with warm water and high energy liquid foods because carrying wolf pups will not be easy on him, and he has to stay away from exertion. 

Marcel is ecstatic. His mate is having his pups and they're going to be strong, healthy little wolves that run around and tear the house down. He can't wait. 

Louis comes to when the lives inside him decide that they're hungry. They've only found their home just a day ago, and here they are depending on their mother for everything already. He loves his pups so much. 

"Hi." Harry's lips are close - very close - to his ear and he's smirking freely with one hand occupied at Louis' hip. 

Edward is very indiscreet about it all as he has his face buried in Louis' abdomen, breathing in the delicate scent that carries more reason to be sweet. He smiles against the flesh and kisses all over Louis' pudge. 

Marcel comes back to Louis awake and smiling a little while Harry whispered in his ear. Edward wasn't saying anything, just hid his face in Louis' tummy and stayed there. 

"Couldn't wait for me?" Marcel slides onto the bed and gives Louis a glass of water with a straw. 

"It's warm." Louis sits up and crosses his legs. Edward goes with him. 

"Has to be." Marcel tells him, pressing a kiss to his forehead. "Pups need warmth."

Smiling with a little extra pink in his cheeks, Louis sips from the straw and plays with Edward's hair since that's all he can see of the Alpha's head. "They're not going anywhere, Alpha. They're your pups."

Edward makes a pleased rumble in his chest and kisses Louis' tummy lovingly. The Omega giggles and scratches at Edward's scalp a little, just enough that the latter hums. 

Louis regains his strength and yawns into his closed fist. Harry takes that fist and ensures that their fingers are securely linked. He forgets that the day requires his attention, his daily duties that need his favour. His mate doesn't get pregnant everyday, so he's going to drag out this morning as much as he can.   
He kisses along Louis' neck and listens to his musical giggle as recompense. His inner Alpha is rolling in content, and on the outside he drapes an arm across Louis for claim. 

"Three." Harry whispers in his ear, a possessive and proud hand on Louis' tummy where he could feel the little lives of his pups. "Our three little ones."

"You're not angry with me?" Louis sounded small and a little scared of what his Alpha might say. 

"I thought I would be but-" Harry sighs and gives him a kiss. "-I think they have won my heart already."

Louis smiles and cuddles into his mate, just to hear a groan from Marcel and Edward when his front ends up blocked by Harry's torso. The Omega giggles and lies on his back again, trying to feel his babies and how they're doing. 

"You're going to be so full of our pups." Edward says, sounding floored by just the possibility of a baby bump. "No more swearing from me."

"Thank you." Louis accepts Edward's kiss when he looms over him for one. 

Marcel was most open about his wish for pups and now he let's nothing stand between him and Louis' tummy. He starts mumbling and whispering words to the unborns, knowing that they'll listen and take heed to his wisdom. 

The rest of the early morning is spent just like that. Louis falls asleep and the Alphas never make any sound loud enough to wake him. They always have an arm around that part of their Omega, or as Harry does he presses his cheek to the soft, smooth skin.   
His _Alfa_ senses on top of his regular ones allow him to sense his pups, wriggling about alive and healthy in their mother's womb. He kisses that spot for a long time before deciding to get some sleep. 

They awaken later, when Harry can no longer force himself to sleep. Louis is awake and sitting up against the headboard. He smiles when Harry looks up at him and leans in close for a kiss. 

Harry nudges closer and presses his thumb to the quickly developed pudge on Louis' tummy. He straightens his back and cracks his knuckles, the tight knots in his neck and stretches his arms. When he looks back, he finds Louis watching him with a bitten lip. 

"See something you like?" Harry puts an arm on either side of Louis' head and leans in really close but doesn't kiss him. 

Louis backs up until he's lying on his pillow, Harry hovering over him with a special glint in her eye. He licks his lips, and his eyes dart to Louis'. 

"You smell _fucking_ amazing." Harry growls softly and glances down at Louis' tummy. 

He sucks his bottom lip between his teeth when Louis presses his hands to his boney hips. Louis pulls him down and connects their mouths, their bodies in one desperate union. Harry slips his hands under Louis' body and massages the flesh in his palms, pulling gasps and sweet noises from his Omega. 

"Are you still feeling ill?" Harry rubs Louis' hips with thumbs from both hands. He presses soft kisses to his face and open-mouthed ones to his neck and clavicle. 

"No." Louis pants, easily being hauled onto Harry's lap. He sits there with arms around him and a warm chest against his cheek. His fingers dance across taut skin and muscular flesh. 

"My sweet?" Harry holds Louis' folded legs on his lap and rests his chin on Louis' shoulder. 

"Yes, _Alfa_?" Louis makes his tone teasing, and in turn Harry nips at his throat before planting a bruising kiss there. 

"You will tell me if anything hurts or bothers you, yes?" He hears rustling of the sheets and Marcel stirs beneath the comforter with his eyes closed. 

"I will." Louis smiles. 

"Thank you." Harry takes Louis' hands in his and kisses them both. "I love you, my sweet."

"I love you." Louis kisses the corner of Harry's mouth.

Louis asks to stay at home the for the day and each of his mates offer to stay with him. Edward claims he never gets to stay with Louis, and the other two triplets say the exact same. Louis giggles at their little argument, and looks between the three of them in turn. 

"I want to see our doctor." Louis clarifies, seated on a couch with Hercules purring on his lap. 

"You can't go alone." Harry says authoritatively. "It's not safe."

"We could bring her here again." Edward proposes. "I'll go get her."

"I'll stay here then." Harry says firmly. "Marcel can go out to the camp today."

"No. _No._ " The youngest triplet bites back. "I'm stayin' 'ere."

"Says who?" Harry takes a step closer to him with his arms crossed and teeth bared almost threateningly.

"Oye." Louis raises an eyebrow at them all. "No fighting please."

This isn't good for the babies, for their fathers to be fighting. It isn't good _at all_ that they were fighting amongst brothers. He gets a low mumble of apologies from all three of them. 

"I'd like to go to her please." Louis says again, hoping to lessen the tension. "The exercise would be nice because in two months I won't be walking at all."

"True." Edward nods, clearing his throat and sitting beside Louis with a mug of warm tea. "You will be needing three escorts or just one then?"

Before the triplets pick up another debacle with each other, Louis tries to hide his humoured expression and speaks. "I'd like all three of you to be there. You're their daddies, after all."

" _So_ true." Edward looks like he's in a form of physically painful restraint. He hasn't let go of Louis and their pups until this morning. 

"Can we go then?" 

"Yes." Marcel clears his throat. "We're going."

"In a car." Harry says as he helps Louis slip on his shoes. It wasn't by request of the Omega, because he's still fully capable, but he will do all that he can. 

"I want to walk." Louis diffuses the arguable response with a chaste kiss. Harry does not respond with words. 

They make it to the doctor's cottage without a mishap and Louis had multiple laughs along the way. His scent was altered quickly and Harry realised how pungent it was when they stepped outside and it was compared to the snowy earth. He growled and tightened his arm around Louis. 

"It's alright." Louis kisses his cheek.

The doctor sits him down in her examination room and Louis swings his legs back and forth as he waits. Marcel is closest to him, and he beams whenever the Omega smiles at him or leans into his scent. 

"My love." Marcel kisses the back of Louis' hand and stands between his legs. "Are you nervous?"

The other triplets listen to Louis and Marcel's conversation but they say nothing to contribute. 

Louis rests his forehead against Marcel's chest with a small sigh and shake of his head. "Yes. Are you?"

"Which answer will get me a kiss?" The Alpha rubs Louis' back and smirks down at him with a very unlike Marcel wink. 

Rolling his eyes, Louis covers Marcel's mouth when he tries bending closer to him. "Neither."

Marcel fake scowls and Louis giggles but doesn't withdraw. The medical professional enters and gestures to Louis for the beginning of the examination. 

"You're very pregnant, _Krasa_." The doctor, Meesa, informs him with a warm smile. "Three little pups. A day or two along."

Pregnancies are early detected and had a short period. A single pup is with its mother for a month and a half at most, while multiples stayed for two or three months. 

"Those pups will need lots of nutrition." She tells him once he's cleaned up and holding the ultrasound. "Eat up to five small meals a day. All warm and as soft as you can. You'll need to walk but no more than the area of your home. No heavy lifting and sleep all you want."

Louis pays careful attention to each thing she says, even though he's certain Marcel has them quoted in a mental document. The Omega notices how her body languages once she's done with the basics. 

"Can I speak to _Krasa_ Louis alone, please?" She looks up at the three males watching them. 

"No." Harry snaps. 

"Please?" This voice is smaller and more familiar to them. It makes Harry nod curtly and his brothers follow on their way out. "Why did you send them out?"

"Because one of your mates is our _Alfa_." Meesa locks her fingers together and sits forward. "One of your pups is very strong, very fidgety and carrying his father's brute genes. It's bound to be a male Alpha, and heir to _Alfa_ Harry."

Louis chews his lip and looks at his front where his babies are safe and sound. He rubs his thumb over the pudge. 

"An _Alfa_ pup is different to an ordinary Alpha pup. If your other pups are Beta or Omega, it could be dangerous. He will be very strong and want to be dominant even in your womb." She writes something down on a writing pad before looking up. "Even your mate will start to act up. It won't be his fault but the need to protect the pup that is his will reign supreme and most important over all else, besides you."

"What do you mean? They're all his pups, Doctor."

"For public purposes, yes. Three Alphas means three pups just as two Alphas means two pups. One for each. Since Harry is predominant, he will try to assert that over his brothers and the other babies. He will listen only to you during that time." She slows down her words and speaks calmly. "He will become more possessive and dangerous to anyone who will touch you, his brothers included. You must _never_ let it come to that."

It's a hard thing to hear and a stressful dosage of information. Louis can handle it, however, because he's seen a glimpse of it this morning and it's bound to only get worse. He nods and thanks the doctor before standing up. 

"One more thing." She says on their way to the door. Her fingers tear off a piece of paper and it has her number on it. "Call me at any hour if you need me."

Louis takes a deep breath when he looks at the door. "I will. Thank you."

"You're afraid." She tilts her head. " _Krasa_ , this may be frightening but know that there are three Alphas out there who love you. Even if what I said comes into play, the other two will not let harm come to you or these babies. Harry's behaviour will be based on the advancement of his kind over time. The innovation will fade as soon as these babies come into the world. His instinct to protect his nest, the _entire_ nest, will take over."

  
* * * * *  


They reach their cottage just when the breakfast hour ends, but Marcel still sits Louis down on the plush single couch and goes about making breakfast. 

"I can do this, Marcel." Louis stands and goes into the kitchen. "I love cooking."

"No physical exertion, love." Edward walks by him and pauses momentarily to plant a kiss on his cheek. 

Louis sticks his tongue out at the Alpha who chuckles at him and pinches his hip. Harry leaves his boots at the door and goes into the crowded kitchen as well to get a bottle of water. He grabs two mugs and makes tea instead, then grabs Louis' hand and leads him out of that room and into the lounge. 

"It's not safe when Marcel is in nesting mode." Harry kneels in front of where Louis is sat comfortably. 

"It's not safe when he tries to take my kitchen from me either." Louis says with a wide smile. 

"You are so radiant when you're threatening my brothers." The _Alfa_ folds a quilt and sets it on Louis' lap, working particularly to tuck the corners around Louis' tummy. 

"Harry?" Louis calls quietly. 

"Yes, my love?" Harry looks into his eyes and he frowns at a little dark sadness that he finds. 

"You're my Alpha, yeah?" The Omega whispers. He just needs reassurance from him, the dominant himself. He needs to know for certain that he'll always be able to get through to him. 

Harry doesn't hesitate. "Yes. Yes, my sweet."

Louis smiles a little brighter and it manages to reach his eyes this time. "Thank you."

Edward walks in with a bowl of soup and Louis looks up at him with a raised brow. "Who put Lou on the single sofa?"

"I did!" Marcel calls out his answer from the kitchen. 

The food is ready and Louis gives Marcel an extra long kiss for not making separate food for him then them. Everyone had to eat soup and that was it. 

"Do you think we can stay home today?" Harry asks no one in particular, his interest set on Louis as it has been since his Omega asked him an odd question. 

"I know I'm not moving." Edward announces, arms roped around Louis finally. 

Edward ate first and fast, so as soon as he could he got Louis across his lap nestled against his chest. He was clever in his plan, and everyone admits it. 

"Can the pack be without you for a day, Harry?" Marcel asks the eldest. 

"I believe so." Harry catches Louis looking at him, but the Omega looks away when he's noticed. 

Louis pulled his blanket closer and yawned when he started to feel very comfortable. 

"Let me take you upstairs, love." Harry offers. He needs to ask Louis what's wrong. 

Louis nods and gets cradled against another warm body while they go upstairs. Harry closes the bedroom door and carries Louis to the bathroom to brush his teeth. They get to the bed and Harry tucks him in under the covers, before stripping down himself and getting in. 

"What's wrong then?" Harry's hand under the covers snakes its way to Louis' front. He smiles when he can still feel those three little lives there. 

"Nothing." Louis knows he shouldn't say anything of what the doctor said, shouldn't plant a seed and cause trouble. "I'm just scared."

Harry looks at him in disbelief but nods away his doubts. Unnecessarily mindful of Louis' tummy that hasn't expanded into more than a little pudge, he weighs down on the blanket. 

"Tell me then." He nears Louis' side by a fraction at a time. "What is it you're afraid of?"

Louis deems himself talented enough to hide what he is truly feeling since his Alpha who is so close to him doesn't pick anything up. "Three little babies will be tumbling around this house in less than three months. What's _not_ scary about that?"

"I find that to be very exciting, actually." Harry turns onto his back when Louis does, heads turned to face each other. "Marcel can take our pups to the camp, Edward will make them accompany him almost everywhere else he goes and I can take them hunting."

His mate scoffs and looks up at the ceiling. "You're sorely mistaken if you think I'm letting any of you take my babies out of this house before they're thirty."

Harry's laughing at him and his lips brush Louis' shoulder. "Don't allow yourself to stress or worry. You are safe and our pups are safer because they're inside you."

Louis exhales with his eyes slowly shutting. He hopes with all his heart and soul that Dr. Meesa is wrong.

His nap is not cut short even when someone comes knocking on the door asking for Harry. The pack needs to see him but not about anything urgent, so he sends his Beta in his place. He doesn't inform anyone of Louis' condition, because it's tradition that the _Krasa_ decides for themself. 

Marcel likes to believe that he can tell exactly when his pups are hungry so during Louis' three hour nap he prepares something to eat. Harry stays next to Louis the whole time with some part of him always touching the sleeping Omega that's drowning in warm sheets and soft feather pillows. 

Edward has given in to his primal half too early and promised to supply the meat for Marcel's cooking. He could not be stopped and Marcel sighed without trying. At least it's not him hunting and Edward cooking. 

"Has anyone come?" Harry jogs down the staircase after a fresh shower, damp ringlets sticking to his neck and joggers hardly covering his socked feet. 

"Didn't hear anyone." Marcel gets a familiar black and blue can from Harry when the fridge is opened. "Edward went hunting."

"What for?" Harry crosses his arms and leans his back against the stove. 

Marcel shrugs and rolls his eyes. "I honestly wish I knew the answer. Lou's still asleep?"

"He's showering and locked me out." 

His brother laughs under his breath and pauses his stirring. "Out of the bathroom?"

"The bedroom. Do you know how far Edward went?"

"I doubt he went more than half a mile into the woods. He's still in our territory."

Minutes later the bedroom door unlocks and Louis comes padding downstairs looking warm. He's wearing his own clothes - both of his present Alpha mates are greatly offended - and socks. 

"Where's Edward?" He asks once he's reached the kitchen and scowling at Marcel. "And what are you doing in my kitchen?"

"Edward went hunting." Marcel answers, passing Louis and pecking his lips. 

"And the second question?"

"What second question?" Marcel plays dumb and Louis wishes he could growl without sounding like a puppy himself. "Harry, did you hear a second question?"

Harry, who had been silent up until now, draws Louis back against his chest and smirks to expose one shallow dimple. "I heard no such thing."

"You're both mean." Louis pulls away from Harry with a pout and goes into the lounge with Hercules. "I want Edward."

"He'll be back soon." Harry drowns the rest of the contents in his can and steps out onto the porch. 

"How was your nap?" Marcel finishes in the kitchen and comes to take up residence beside Louis, warily because his mate looks less than pleased with him. 

"Don't be scared." Louis giggles freely and tugs on his Alpha's sleeve. "I had a lovely nap. What were you doing?"

Relieved, Marcel sits back and takes Louis' legs over his lap. He uses a woollen fleece to wrap up his lower body snugly. "Cooking."

"Aha." Louis leans back against the armrest. "Did you cook before I came along?"

"Had to." Marcel chuckles, placing his palm under Louis' sweater and on the bare skin of his tummy. "My brothers are like a death squad in the kitchen."

"I don't think so." Louis defends the absent two thirds of their nest. 

"Believe it, pumpkin spice." 

Marcel gets comfortable between Louis' legs with the side of his face against Louis' front over the sweater. The Omega laughed and covered him with the fleece he used earlier, their limbs entangled.

"We haven't played a board game in a while." Marcel says suggestively. 

"No, we haven't." His mate runs his thin, gentle fingers through the Alpha's curly locks and sets them straight. 

"Do you want to?"

"I'd love to."

The game of Monopoly is found by Marcel in the upstairs attic, but that's not enough to get Louis to come down from the dingy space. The Alpha took his mate up there for company, but the latter found satisfaction in going through the boxes he was granted access to. 

"What are these?" Louis is cross legged on a blanket on the floor. 

Marcel was very close to him with a larger box filled with older memories. "What, love?"

Louis holds up a selection of books with his bottom lip jutting out. They were untitled and sealed with aged leather belts. 

"Diaries." He frowns and takes the oldest looking one from the pack. "Really old diaries."

"So they're not yours or your brothers'?"

Marcel shakes his head while prying off the belt from around the book. He sets the Monopoly board game down in favour of browsing through the pages. The pages have endless words, overflowing and filling all the tiny available spaces. 

"It belongs to the old pack _Alfa_ , before our family got here." He explains. "It's not even in English, but Czech."

Luckily, Louis found an even older Chambers dictionary that would translate Czech to English directly. "Would it be okay if I read them?"

"You'll have to ask Harry, love. This is his area of expertise." Marcel hands the book back and kisses Louis' neck where his mating mark was. 

Louis nods and starts to stand. Marcel helps him up and puts the Monopoly game into the box of diaries, he then hauls the whole lot downstairs to the bedroom. He goes back for Louis and holds him on his descend from the attic. 

"Edward's here." Louis says as soon as he's on his feet, and kicks off his shoes to hurry downstairs. 

"Don't run!" Marcel follows him and keeps steadying hands on Louis' waist. "Careful now, pumpkin."

"Sorry." Louis blushes and pecks Marcel's jaw. "I love you."

Now Marcel hides in his neck with a broad smile. "I love you as well, pumpkin."

They join Harry outside on the porch when Edward's wolf is getting closer to the cottage from the edge of the forest. The eldest smirks and leans against the wooden post, Louis going one step towards the snow and Marcel stays at the door. 

"I was afraid you'd bring back a whole herd." Marcel teases his brother, Harry finds it funny enough to chuckle. 

Edward's grey wolf form trots up to Louis' position and deposits the deer between his jaws at his feet. He nudges the carcus towards Louis' feet and the Omega cooes. The sound gets the Alpha to change back into his human form and give him a kiss, blood arms and all. 

"No way." Harry pushes Edward back before any contact is made. 

Edward growls at his sibling and Louis thanks the Gods that Harry just raises an eyebrow of his and doesn't start anything violently scary. He puts a small hand on Edward's chest and kisses the cleanest spot of his cheek. 

"My pups don't like the smell of blood, love." He says in a special soft voice he reserves for when anyone around him is spooked and on the verge of causing trouble. 

Edward believes that more than his brother's brutal shove, and he smiles with crimson lips. He passes Louis with the promise of a shower, and glares at his eldest brother en route. 

"Love?" Louis turns to Harry when the dead animal and Edward is gone, Marcel trailing behind. 

Harry locks eyes with him and gives him his full attention. 

Louis puts Harry's hand on his lower abdomen, connected with his own. He knows by now that Harry is not immune to the feeling of his babies. "Be nice to him. He just got back, no need to be harsh."

"You certainly know how to manipulate me." Harry presses their foreheads together. "That is dangerous."

"I will never misguide you then." Louis licks his lips and smiles warmly when his scariest mate rubs the skin against his palm. 

"Let me get you inside." Harry bends and picks Louis up bridal style to carry into the cottage. 

"Alpha?" Louis twirls a lock of Harry's dry hair. "I found very old books in the attic and I'd like to read them. They're in Czech and Marcel said I should ask you because they're the diaries of past pack leaders."

"Of course you may." Harry locks the door once they're inside. "I remember finding those books myself and I'm quite pleased that you've taken an interest in them."

Louis thanks him and gets set down at the kitchen island. He watches Marcel cook and pats Hercules on the back when the lynx pup crawls up his leg again. 

"I'm going to make peace." Harry says, looking at their room door. "Wish me luck, I suppose."

**_[A/N: Next update will be soon :) please comment with your thoughts and opinions bc I welcome and appreciate them all - S xx]_ **


	13. XIII

_**[A/N: I listened to Zara Larrson - Lush Life during this chapter o.O I'm sorry I took so long to update this :( was just a little blank on the plot-line. ANNOUNCEMENT: Considering there are many short stories that I write above the beginning to each chapter that you guys like, I was wondering if any of you would like a short fic based off one of them. By the end of this book (which is surprisingly not too far away) I will make one more fic and it will be not many chapters. Just let me know in your comments which short story from any of the chapters you'd like to extend :) - S xx]** _

_Louis can tell you that being employed by a secret government agency is no walk in the park, but being one of their leading special agents takes the cake for being a pain in the ass._   
_Harry's father inherited the job he had as leader of a filthy underground mob when he was seventeen, and gave it to his only son when Harry turned nineteen. Harry's father knew his son was ready._

_Both Harry and Louis ended up at the same place at the same time with different agendas. Louis had gone to pick up his laundry when Harry's men decided to raid the laundromat because of one their alliances living in the basement. Harry held a knife to Louis' throat while Louis held a sharpened steel blade to his crotch._

_If either were asked, it was not love at first sight._

_They only met a month later when Harry went looking for him, and found the blue-eyed beauty he couldn't forget on a job to annihilate another potential threat. There was a fight and Harry declared that he'd never felt more betrayed. He made sure to let Louis know after they fell into his bed that night._

_Despite prior circumstances, Louis fell harder in love than Harry did, and he soon enough forgot about who he truly was to the world. They shared nights and days, talking or kissing until someone knocked on the door. Louis became Harry's confidante and even agreed to leave his agent job so they could settle down. That was two years after their first encounter._

_"Why do you stay in?" Louis was referring to Harry's undying tendency - and never is he ever said no to - to stay buried in Louis after a session of love-making._

_"You're too fucking perfect to let go of." Harry exposed to Louis the tiny part of him that's cheeky and boyishly charming. "Or pull out of."_

_On the day Louis chose to retire, he was in the agency building during a lockdown once a red alert was sent out. Everyone was armed and made to disperse around the establishment._

_Louis was on his way down to the weaponry hidden in a concrete bunker when a pair of hands caught his slim waist and hauled him off to one side. As a reflex, he got them off but only managed to deliver a blow to Harry's jaw unintentionally. His giggling wore off after Harry's dramatic jaw clenching did._   
_Sadly, that was all the fun there was to it because Louis learned that this invasion was due to the agency harbouring property that was Harry's. The even bigger and more horrific news was that he was key to their infiltration. Harry had used him to get their own back._

_He spent a minute trying to convince him that despite what Harry said, he'd never betray him. That didn't stop Harry's heart from breaking phenomenally when he had to take him away unconscious._

_"You told me you loved me."_

_"I had to."_

_**To be continued...** _

  
* * * * *  


"I did it." Harry returned from upstairs once he felt accomplished in his quest to apologise to Edward. 

Louis smiled up at him from the kitchen counter where he was sampling soup spiciness directly from Marcel's wooden spoon. "Yay. I'm proud of you."

"Are you really?" Marcel gives the Omega a discreet wink and turns back to the stove. 

Harry scoffs and rolls his eyes at his sibling. He cleans a spot of red substance from Louis' mouth with his thumb and kisses his mate's head to assert his presence. 

"I'm going upstairs." Louis slides off his chair that Harry soon resumes. 

He wasn't really asking permission but Harry nods and Marcel pouts. There's only one Alpha in existence who pouts, and he's Louis' macho mate. 

"You drove him away." Marcel accuses his eldest brother. 

Harry's wearing thin and Louis can see the snap in his Alpha nature that's bound to bend beyond measure soon. He kindly reminds the Alpha of his sweetness by pressing a kiss on his cheek. His pregnant scent fills Harry's senses, invading and teasing every nerve he has. Harry's chest rumbles with a deceitful growl. 

"Do you wanna come with me?" Louis proposes with battered eyelashes and _his pregnant scent_ that's driving Harry _mad_.

The Alpha can't find words, as he turns into an obedient mate - sometimes - when his precious Omega mate asks for his company. He hums and licks his lips, which seems like the ideal answer over words. Silently, he reaches out for Louis' waist but the Omega is already at the base of the stairs, so he has to rush and catch up. Marcel shakes his head fondly. 

"My walking is just fine, Alpha." Louis informs the Alpha male that is just about a second away from picking him up off the ground. 

Harry has his face buried in Louis' neck and he pushes the bedroom door open a little too harshly. He follows behind his mate and stands stiffly at the door until Louis is done gathering what he wants to occupy his time between now and lunch. Edward's shower is giving off whisps of steam from under the closed bathroom door and adding the scent of musk to the room. 

Eventually, Harry sets about making a comfortable nest slash cocoon with the soft sheets so Louis is comfortable when he rests on them. Louis himself appreciates the effort and admires how the organisation is actually quite impressive. 

"Why thank you." Louis pecks Harry's drying lips and climbs onto the bed carefully. 

Another grunt is all he gets as it seems Harry has managed to merge with his inner Alpha at a faster rate than usual. Harry goes for cautious but not discreet once he's under the covers with Louis, blocking his face to the world by pressing it against Louis' baby pudge. 

Louis is forced to use his back as a table while he reads. He may or may not have let his fingers dance across the broad planes of Harry's now bare shoulders and back. His small fingerbuds brush and rub the skin where nubs of bone or muscle begin to press against the underside. 

"Harry?" Louis shifts to accomodate Harry picking his shirt up so he can be direct contact with his pups. 

The Alpha keeps his nose pressed to Louis' tummy and grunts his acknowledgment. He's not being disrespectful and Louis knows that, he's just utterly entranced by the life forms in his womb. 

"Would you prefer I call you Baby Daddy?" Louis jokes and result is Harry looking up at him with glimmering mismatched eyes that say he's not entirely opposed to the option. "I'm not calling you Baby Daddy."

Harry's growl is playful - he'd never threaten his gorgeous mate - and he parts with his new permanent home to encourage Louis onto his back. He hovers above him with the same protective prowess he possessed the day he met Louis, and now with his babies. 

Harry noses along Louis' neckline. "I can't knot you."

"That is a good thing though, yes?" Louis says a little breathlessly. 

His Alpha nods and kisses all over their mating mark. He's very possessive when it comes to his mate and puppies. "I want you."

"Do you?" 

Another nod, more eager and vigorous. Sharp teeth that are halfway across the board to Harry's wolf form, dig into his neck harmlessly and makes him whine. 

"Want you always." Harry restates firmly, getting hoarse as his inner Alpha claws its way up to the surface.

"You have me always." 

"Babies are a part of you. My babies." He clears his throat so the gruffness goes away, only to return with a silver spark in his black eye. "I want to be part of you too."

Louis giggles. "Do you realise how wrong that sounds?"

Harry growls again but it's less sinister and more teasing. Louis' Omega inner-personality perks up at the curious noise. Noticing this interest, Harry makes another one of those sounds and this time adds the vibrating of his chest. 

" _Inside._ " He bites Louis' Adam's Apple. "I want to be _inside you._ "

Louis felt a nudge in his side that wasn't Harry's fault, and a small pinch close to where he could feel his babies squirming about with him wrapped around them. 

"We have to be careful, Alpha." Louis warns, all serious-like because this concerned his pups. "No sexy business."

It wasn't meant to be amusing but Harry chuckles anyway. And as Harry's laughter is meant to be anything but settling, it comes across almost low and demonic. 

"What?" The Omega sticks his bottom lip out and crosses his arms over his chest that measures as a third of Harry's torso. 

"I believe my brother finds the term 'sexy business' amusing." Edward pipes up from the puff of steam surrounding the bathroom entryway. 

Harry was not caught off-guard but he wasn't expecting Edward to try and join their little isolated nest. The growl he pushes out now is far less cute and beyond the border of threatening. Louis shivered from the sound of it and Edward went against his respect for _Alfa_ authority when he growled back. 

"Don't be mean." Louis tells him. 

He had to diffuse the situation, so he does by scratching Harry's scalp and speaking softly. It wasn't very respectful either to an _Alfa_ but Louis was that _Alfa_ 's mate and he could do things like that. 

"I see his guilt has worn off two hundred percent." Edward chuckles as his big brother's behavior has amused him. 

Louis smiles and let's Harry press a little closer to his tummy while he converses with Edward. The Alpha wishes to find suitable clothing in their closet. 

"Jeans?" Louis doesn't know why he's doing this because the cottage is heated and they don't need piles of clothing. 

"Not comfortable." Edward argues. 

"Be naked then." The Omega sighs and plumps up the pillow supporting his lumbar region. 

"Good idea, dove." 

The next thing Louis knows is that he's close to shrieking when the least distressing but still strange, thing happens. Edward falls onto his front next to Harry completely bare and slightly damp, his face staying slammed into the pillow by Louis' hip. 

"Hooligan." Louis comments with a giggle once he's covered Edward's rear with a thin sheet. 

He finds that Harry doesn't react in a lethal way, in fact he comes from the complete opposite end of the spectrum. How bipolar is this Alpha? He meets his brother's gaze with sparkling humour and they chuckle to themselves like newborns. Louis is awestruck. 

"Correction, _hooligans._ " He rolls his eyes and looks up when the bedroom door flies open again. 

They need to reinforce that door someday really soon. 

"I heard someth- oh what the Hell?" Marcel falls against the door when he sees what the rest of his nest is up to. 

"Not my fault." Louis raises his hand. 

"I don't believe that."

Louis pouts and goes back to playing with Harry's hair. "It really isn't."

"I know, pumpkin. I'm sorry." 

Marcel ignores his brothers' threatening growls - that sound like panda bear is making them - and bends to kiss his mark on Louis' neck. It was a very fond private act, and when done in public spoke more possessively of an Alpha. If an Alpha kisses his mate's lips, that was love. If an Alpha kisses his mate's bond mark, that was a whirlwind of passionate connotations. 

"Forgiven." Louis beams up at his standing mate. 

The other Alphas don't like the non-attention they're reeceiving and begin the process of delicately palpating Louis' growing abdomen. They just use their thumbs and when Louis gasps, they smirk. 

"They're being weird." Louis complains to Marcel, who has taken a seat beside the Omega and is letting his mate lean against his side. 

Harry takes that opportunity to stretch and crane his neck so he can capture Louis' lips in a sweet kiss. He makes a provocative little rumble and makes his mate blush. 

"Are you hungry?" Marcel brushes his thumb back and forth over Louis' hip. 

"Yes." Louis rubs his tummy and gets a kiss on his palm from a naked Edward. "Our puppies and I want lots of food."

Three consecutive affectionate cooes follow after his response. "Would you like to eat upstairs?"

"Please?" 

"Of course." Marcel kisses Louis' temple. "I'll bring it up."

"Thank you."

"You're very welcome." Marcel moves his lips from Louis' forehead to his cheek then the corner of his mouth. 

Giggling and ducking from the Alpha's hopeful mouth, Louis manages to find himself in the steel-arm cage that is Harry. With no regrets and a discreet smile, Louis hides everything from his toes to his nose behind the comforter. 

"Be right back." 

Turning onto his side so he is successfully sandwiched between two of his Alphas, Louis keeps all other hands away from his tummy by wrapping his arm around it. He's scared for his pups, as in usual pregnancies the pups are born entirely blind and deaf. He doesn't want them to experience any hardship. That's his job. 

"Whatever you're worried about-" Edward starts before Harry can take over with his temporary lack of human knowledge. "-stop worrying about it."

"Can't." Louis shrugs, tucking the sheets under his arms. "It's my duty to worry."

"Wrong." Edward shakes his head, even Harry nuzzles his neck effectively to convey his agreement. "Your duty is to love these pups."

"Loving means worrying." 

"Loving means loving." The Alpha thumbs along the defined line of Louis' cheekbone. "You loving us means us loving you."

"Really?" Louis giggles when he gets his throat nuzzled and Edward's bond bite nipped at. 

Harry grumbles something that's incoherent and annoyed, his arms constricting around Louis' hips. He hates not having attention, and he pulls Louis onto his back so he may be closer to him. Edward, in his pre-metamorphosised cocoon of linen, slots himself between Louis' legs so their tangle is much worse. 

"Hi there." Edward smirks down at his Omega, dazzling dimples as well. 

"Hi." Louis winks up at his Alpha, earning a raised eyebrow and kiss on the cheek from the other Alpha present. He turns to Harry. "Hi."

Harry's response a lot more vague, as he plants his face on Louis' pillow and keeps his arms banded around him. 

"Will you be with the rest of the pack tomorrow?" Edward asks Harry, trying to bring back literate Harry instead of communicating with a wolf-man. "You big grizzly."

The responder says nothing as his pups are distraction enough. He will only answer to them or the mother of his pups when he's like this. 

"Leave him alone." Louis remarks fondly, combing his fingers through Harry's hair. "He's my grizzly bear."

"We haven't seen grizzly bears in a while." Edward covers himself up to his waist and curls around Louis' abdomen. "Think we killed them all?"

"I never saw one. Are they as bad as everyone says?"

"If I used the term to describe my brother, then they must have been."

Louis tosses a pillow at him weakly. Harry is deaf and dumb to everything going on around him that does not concern his unborn babies. He slides a hand under Louis' top and feels their little lives wriggling around. This is his favourite thing to do in the world. 

"I love you." Harry voices softly in Louis' sensitive ear, making the hairs on the back of his neck prick. 

The Omega turns his head and doesn't succeed in hiding his heating cheeks. He kisses Harry on his lips and smiles when the Alpha alters his entire position so that they're laying this close to each other. 

"I love you too." 

Harry's chin rests on Louis' head and his fingers move over Louis' pudge, continually making a content rumble in his chest that becomes very comforting to Louis. Unfortunately, it also triggers a bit of a pinching sensation way down where his babies were resting. 

"Lou." Edward picks up on the distress first because his ear is pressed to a spot of skin directly above Louis' womb. "Does it hurt?"

Louis nods, biting his lip and hiding in Harry's chest. It doesn't get worse or better, the dull ache just resides there where it shouldn't and makes him whine. 

"The babies?" Harry doesn't need anymore coaxing. He's back and looking extremely worried with narrowed vision. 

"I-I don't know." Louis sits up and looks down between his legs but there is no sign of blood. "What's wrong with me?"

"Nothing." Edward reaffirms, his black eyes turning a little red around the pupil as does an Alpha's when stressed. 

Harry carries Louis when the Omega tries to stand but sways and eventually stumbles. When he smells it, his inner Alpha causes a howl to bubble out of his tight chest. Marcel doesn't waste time coming upstairs and gets a coat for Louis from their compact closet by the door. He smells it slightly after Edward's eyes become full-blown red, and he dashes upstairs in a mad hurry. 

"What-"

His eyes go from Harry with his angered frown to Edward's distressed Alpha eyes, to where Louis was held between them. He looked pale and his short fingers were grappling for something to hold on to on Harry's shirt even though he was already secured in that Alpha's arms.   
It was all because his skin and warm pants were stained. Stained red, with rivulets of red blood. 

Less than ten minutes later, Louis is extra sleepy and minutely desensitised to the pain pulsating from his lower abdoment. Harry marched across the distance between their cottage and the pack doctor's cottage, keeping Louis under a coat in his arms and pressing him close to his chest. 

" _Alfa_ Harry?" Meesa stands up from behind her desk after her door was blown open. 

Marcel growls at her and Edward puts a restricting hand on his shoulder. Stressed as they be, this was not the time for assault and fighting. Harry steps forth past them and when the doctor gasps, he looks down at his drowsy mate feeling pathetic. He wants, at this point, to curl up in a den somewhere with Louis until he's better and his pups are okay. He can only settle for a forehead kiss and apologetic rumble. 

"Put him down." She gestures to the hospital bed by the wall while she attends to the multitude of machinery by its side. "I know how you're feeling but I'm pleading with you, let me work."

Harry glares at her with the powerful command that accompanies any Alpha, piled on top of his earned respect as _Alfa_. The only person who didn't stand for that look was Louis, and it is only for Louis that he will sit it aside and be patient. 

"Brother?" Marcel stood behind Harry to his right, and he was worried sick about Louis' health at this point. 

Edward replaces the empty spot on Marcel's shoulder with his arm, because his brother needed comfort and that's all he can offer right now. Harry remains stiff and not acknowledging anyone else in the room, his senses are honed in on Louis alone should he be needed. 

"Would you step out, please?" She asks of Louis' mates. 

They look back at her ignorantly and Harry curls his lips into a snarl. He's not going _anywhere._

"I have to clean him up." She clarifies, still polite and professional. 

" _No._ " Marcel snaps. He doesn't shrink back either like he usually does when he feels he's offended someone. 

Meesa looks at Louis and the Omega manages to pull an amused but apologetic smile. He knows _just_ how difficult his Alphas can be. 

Working quickly and aptly, Meesa manages to get Louis clean, get rid of the soiled clothing all whilst ignoring the tense and testosterone-ruled Alphas waiting so close by. 

"Your bleeding stopped and it was very little." She says once Louis is covered from the hips down. "I can't tell you why outright."

While Dr. Meesa gets the ultrasound machine with its probe ready, Marcel perches himself beside Louis on the high-raised bed. He's too frantic to care about distance warning anymore. 

"Stubborn." Louis whispers to him, leaning against the Alpha's arm anyway. 

"I love you, that's why." Marcel smiles against Louis' forehead. "I love you very much, pumpkin."

"Lift your shirt please, _Krasa_." The doctor instructs and Louis obeys, neatly folding back the hem of his sweater to avoid creases. "It's going to be cold but nothing too bad."

Louis nods but hisses anyway at the cold contact on his warm front. He doesn't move away even when the wand begins to move and the chill sets down by his pups. A little pressure to three spots later, and Meesa looks ready to burst. 

"What's wrong?" Louis can't exactly tell what's going on with her monitor turned away from them. 

She hides her sputter and turns back to him looking conflicted. Harry has to growl again to prompt her speech, before Edward can tear something apart with his suppressed agitation. 

"Look here." She points to the screen with her long finger, particularly towards a left corner where a tiny white blob lay. 

"Yes?" Edward sounds sickeningly annoyed. 

"These three-" She moves her hand to circle three slightly bigger jelly bean blobs. "-represent your previously recognised pups. Now, this one-" Her hand goes back to the smaller bean that's away from the first three. "-represents another sibling of theirs."

Marcel looks flabberghasted and Harry is outright annoyed at her dragging this explanation. 

"Talk." Edward further presses. 

"That pup doesn't look younger as it is as developed as the other three, however it is smaller and weaker." She presses the print button on the monitor while she speaks. "For those reasons, I couldn't pick it up earlier nor could you, _Alfa_ Harry."

"Then....-" Marcel pushes his hair out of his eyes by raking a large hand through a chunk of the chocolate locks. "I've never heard of this. Why would our baby pitch up on the screen now and not earlier?"

"I've not heard of this before either, I'm afraid. It has happened though. Have any of you been paying extra attention to the pups now that they're here?"

"Yes." Louis is the one to answer. 

"Then maybe they were hiding behind the triplets, still too underdeveloped to be noticed. This fetus won't be younger than the triplets, but he or she will be a separate sibling with varying features. Their physical stature will also be greatly different, and most likely inferior."

Louis opens his mouth again with another enquiry, and as the mother he can ask whenever and whatever he wishes. Still, this news is crippling to him with shock. It's a wonderful surprise but the life of his fourth pup is going to be fragile. 

"Why?" Is all he manages. 

"Why?" Meesa doesn't seem understand. 

" _Why?_ Why is he or she weaker? Why is one of my babies all the way over there rather than with the triplets? Why I had to _bleed_ for you to pick him up? Why you're making my pup sound like a mutant?" 

All three of his Alphas have one though. _Woah_. 

He seems to be fuelled by some sort of maternal instinct that there's no brochure or manuel for, but the Alphas present don't question it. They're quite _impressed_ by it, and Harry by far is the most intrigued by his beautiful mate. While, they won't step in the way of this side of Louis they are very affected by it. 

"My apologies, _Krasa_." Meesa blinks and momentarily forgets the English vocabulary. "The fourth baby is weaker only because he was conceived last."

"That doesn't make sense." Louis scrunches up his nose as he does when he's confused. Marcel is tempted to kiss him. 

"That baby just formed last as he or she got the last bit of nutrition. Not to mention, four babies for three Alpha mates is not conventional. It's actually happened twice in the past five centuries."

"Will my baby be at risk because they're smaller?" Louis asks softly, his authoritative tone having made way for a more respectful one. 

"I'm afraid so." Meesa wipes the gel off Louis' tummy and Marcel covers the skin with his sweater. "During the next sixty or so days, you may bleed just as you did now. That's just for when the space gets a little too snug for four babies. After you clean up, drink warm milk. Not much else about your pregnancy has changed except for one major thing."

"Yes?"

"No leaving your home. Besides the obvious risks, moving around too much or even more than a little can jostle the babies too much. As it is still early, that could mean one of them detaching from your uterus."

That is how Meesa says _miscarriage_ in a nice way. Louis smiles gratefully and straightens his back. "So you mean bed rest?"

"Indeed." She nods. "For the next two months until your babies are ready to come out."

"Oh okay." Louis rubs his hands together and uncrosses his legs from the bed so he can slide closer to the edge. "Thank you."

"My pleasure, of course." Meesa shows no signs of being fussed up about Louis' earlier behavior. "This pregnancy will not be painful but it will be difficult and I recommend that you not change into your wolf to ease that difficulty. You are carrying pups and transforming will lead to their change as well, and if you change back they won't be able to without you prompting them. That can also be dangerous."

"Understood." Louis nods. 

"One last thing." She takes the printed photograph off her printer and hands Louis the ultrasound with her right hand. "I believe another congratulations is in order."

Not so much as forcing this smile, Louis quietly thanks her and watches her walk out for an attempt at giving them privacy. He gives Marcel the ultrasound after the Alpha tried many times to take it from him for admiring. Harry is pulling Louis into his arms first thing before the door is even closed, his face being hidden in Louis' neck. His strength is remarkable enough to drag Louis forward and up against his own weight. 

"I love you." Harry tells him in his ear before anything else. "You're going to be the best mother to our pups."

It's like he sensed that's what bothered Louis a great deal. The Omega peers into those off and not matching eyes of his, his mouth twitching from a scared frown to a smile. He wraps his arms around Harry's neck and sighs tiredly. 

"Let's get you home." Harry supports Louis' head on his chin and Edward drape Marcel's dark trench coat around him since his pants were a goner. 

"Hold the corners." Edward tell his brother so that the heavy fabric covered Louis' bare legs. 

Accomplishing the task is better said than done. Harry can't seem to go anywhere without some member of his pack stopping to offer him due respect, and now the same goes for Louis. To worsen the situation, Louis' pheromones had quickly overcome the change from mated to pregnant. The scent was sweeter and less attractive to outside Alphas, but that seemed to only make them more curious. 

After Edward went all caveman on three pack members when they tried approaching their travelling company, Harry decided that the matter needed to be addressed. Louis was asleep already so there was no way it could be discussed internally yet. 

"When he wakes up, heat up some food." Edward tells Marcel, who doesn't seem to be all that pleased taking orders. 

"I know that, brother." The youngest barks at his sibling. 

Harry is surprised they don't get into a tumble indoors while he carries Louis upstairs. Edward's growl makes their roof rattle and this time it isn't meant to impress anyone. 

" _Enough._ " Harry hisses from the top of the stairs. "You're both being fucking childish. Go the fuck outside and continue your fight until you both bleed, or realise what's important in this situation."

He's going to blame the release of Louis' baby hormones that is so close to his pores for giving him this innovated decence. His ruling was always violent, yet he seemed to guilt his brothers into good behavior in less than two minutes. 

Apologies are made while Harry sets Louis down on the bed, turning into a bulb of fondness when the Omega immediately curls up into a small ball. It's a bit different from when Louis otherwise balls up, as this time it's meant to shield his babies - their babies - from harm.   
Harry has to grab Louis' ankle to keep his shoes from dirtying the sheets. Louis whines at the resistance to his motion, and groggily opens his eyes to make an enquirying sound. 

"It's alright, my sweet." Harry leans over a good portion of the mattress to kiss Louis' forehead. "Go to sleep."

Louis turns back around after returning the kiss and let's Harry remove his shoes with socks. His feet disappear under the sheets just as the rest of his body does, with his head resting on Marcel's pillow. Harry stares at him for a few minutes in admiration, when he could really go on staring for days. 

"Sorry for fighting." Marcel mutters from beside him, Harry having realised he was there moments after his presence became solidified. 

Edward was bolder in interrupting their serenity. He stripped down to his black underwear and got under the covers with his mate, offering his apology to the sleeping Omega rather than to his brother. Harry hated the disruption to Louis' beautiful tranquility, but his true irritation arises when Louis actually turns to cuddle into Edward's chest.   
The _Alfa_ 's fists curl in bubbles of jealousy, because why hadn't he thought of doing that? Louis obviously found safety in an Alpha. 

"You're showering?" He asks Marcel instead, hiding his fists under his trenchcoat. 

Marcel knew his older brother well enough to know now that this was Harry's 'nice way' of suggesting that he did shower, so that he gets the empty space on Louis' left. The youngest almost wants to tease him, but the storm of red in Harry's green eye should not be teased. 

"Yeah." Marcel nods and turns away. 

Harry plants a kiss on his brother's forehead silently before setting his clothing aside too as he strips. Despite his massive size and build, he manages to slide himself under the covers without jostling Louis. His hand circles Louis' tummy before settling right in the middle. It was like chaperoning for him, as he had to protect a fourth little life now. He was all too glad to do so. His pride swelled when Louis' smaller hand found that palm and held onto two of his fingers. 

Marcel stepped out with a towel drying his hair, and ensures that his body is not wet enough to be cold later when he crawls up to Louis' waist and lowers himself there. His lanky body had a harder time when it came to folding himself around Louis' lower half protectively, but he did so anyway.   
Hercules made it his duty to join their slumber party but he can't get past the three sets of strong arms seeming to gravitate towards Louis' middle. That's where he usually sleeps, so he guesses he'll just have to find a new spot. 

"Tell me we're killing this creature soon." Edward voices the thoughts of himself and both brothers. 

As Alphas, they didn't sleep during the day unless exhausted. They planned to stay with Louis even if they couldn't actually rest. 

"Lou would kill us." Marcel chuckles. "He loves Hercules."

"Who the fuck knows why." Harry frowned disgustedly. They spoke in a low enough register to not bother their mate. 

"Why do you think we're having four pups instead of three?" Marcel ponders out loud. 

"Does it bother you?" Edward buries his nose and lips in Louis' hair. 

"No." 

"It bothers you." Harry states, completely circling Louis' waist in his arm. "What theories do you have?"

"None." Marcel whispers with a scowl. "It's just strange, innit?"

"Happened twice before, she said." Edward reminds them. "It can't be all that strange."

"Yeah but _why?_ "

"Go see the doctor and ask her again. I'm sure she won't ignore you, after you scared her earlier." 

Marcel groans. "I didn't mean to."

"Of course you did." Harry contradicts from where he's nosing along Louis' neck. 

"You're a beast, brother." Edward refuses to defend his younger brother, instead he chuckles and kisses Louis' little fist that's between their chests. 

"Well you're an imbecil." Marcel remarks. 

Louis sneezes and everyone becomes a new level tense. Marcel knows just what to suspect, so he quietly and efficiently checks on Louis' ears that are about the most sensitive thing about him. Edward's guilt radiates over them as he does and finds that his suspicions are correct. 

"The cold from outside." Marcel explains. "His ears are red because of that."

It is true and Harry rubs the small lobe of Louis' ear with his free hand, while Marcel goes back to being a stiff C-shape and Edward gets vapour rub from their dresser. 

"You're still feeling guilty, aren't you?" Harry speaks without amusement while Edward takes care of a sleeping Louis. 

Edward glances at him impassively, knowing that all he's feeling can be conveyed through their bond. He finishes up and lies back down. "As one would."

"As you should." Harry corrects, gone back to the anger from that night. 

"Harry." Marcel warns off a feud. "Lou's sleeping."

Harry glares once more at his sibling before looking back down at his resting mate, kissing his mark and holds him close. 

Louis waking up couldn't come soon enough. After his first sleepy mumble into the pillow but before he could actually open his eyes, an Alpha that smells a lot like Edward is grabbing him. It's not dangerous the way he rolls over with Louis in his arms so that he had the Omega all to himself. 

"Hi." He kissed Louis' hair when his mate tried hiding under his chin further. "How did you sleep?"

He gets a mumbled and jumbled answer that amuses him with how cute it sounds. Harry has been away downstairs for the past fifteen or so minutes and Marcel managed to fall asleep against his promise not to. 

"You need to eat." Edward squeezes Louis' shoulders, wishing he could sense their babies like Harry. "C'mon, little dove. Our pups need some food."

"Food." Louis murmurs with sleepy lips and half-lidded eyes. 

"Yes, food. Want me to carry you?" 

Louis shakes his head no and yawns into his closed fist with an adorable tired noise at the end. He opens his eyes fully and blinks thrice to take in his surroundings, settling once he recognises it all. He feels the body warmth of Marcel behind him and turns over towards him with a little smile. 

"Why don't you wake him up-" Edward kisses below Louis' ear. "-while I get some food?"

Louis nods, obviously easily fooled into thinking that Marcel had slept for the time that he had and not a sixth of that duration. Edward departs with a prolonged kiss that Louis grins into, cheeks tinting pink and hand caressing the Alpha's cheek. 

"You can go now." Louis counteracts his words by not releasing Edward from his arms. 

"Can I?" Edward quirks an eyebrow and kisses him once more, groaning against his favourite pair of lips. "You taste like a dream when you're sleepy, little dove."

"Do I?" Louis giggles and kisses one dimple. "Food please."

"Your wish is my command." Edward leaves with a dramatic exit, winking at his mate from the door before closing it soundly. 

Louis now has Marcel at his mercy and he carefully crawls atop the sleeping Alpha's lap, sitting astride his thighs and leaning down to pepper his face with kisses. He's feeling extra affectionate and maybe it's because his pudge has developed a bit more over the past three hours. 

Marcel moans and bands of soft steel wrap around Louis' hips. His bright green eyes come into view and connect with fuzzy blue on first contact. 

"Hello there." He chuckles when Louis Eskimo kisses him. 

"Hi." Louis beams and it's enough to paralyse Marcel. 

"Something is different about you." Marcel trails his finger down Louis' sternum and smiles affectionately when the Omega giggles as he reaches his tummy. "Is this it?"

Louis' giggles turn into laughter when Marcel starts blowing warm breath onto his middle, nipping at places close to his hip or belly button. 

"Did Mommy take care of you, my babies?" He leaves four kisses scattered across Louis' abdomen. "I think he did."

"I did." Louis' smile broadens until the corners of his eyes crinkle and Marcel has to kiss them before they're gone. 

"Now, I remember something about bed rest." Marcel lays Louis down and applies no pressure to his body while hovering above him. "Naughty little Omega."

"Babies aren't tired." Louis sticks out his bottom lip and his eyes sparkle just a bit more. 

"I believe that." Marcel rubs Louis' tummy, ready to explode with the thought of his pups. "Stubborn babies."

"Oye." Louis covers his middle with both his arms and turns his body just a bit. "Don't be mean to my babies."

"You misunderstood, pumpkin spice." Marcel cups the right side of Louis' face. "You were stubborn and I fell in love with you just as hard. They probably get it from you and that's always going to be a good quality."

"Really?" 

"Of course, pumpkin. Besides, if our pups are born as cattle I'd still love them as ardently as I do now."

Louis' musical laughter is drowned out by Harry ascending the staircase and Edward slamming the front door downstairs. The tension settles through their bond and Louis whimpers when it blasts his chest like mini missiles. 

"Idiots." Marcel mutters. 

The bedroom door opens and right now Louis doesn't know who to trust or who is at fault so he clutches Marcel's shirt and stares earnestly up into the Alpha's eyes. Marcel's a weaker Alpha by birth and right, but his instincts were the same. 

"Your brother is going to tear down trees and kill some animals again." Harry informs Marcel, becoming alien to the relation between brothers. "Go deal with him."

"You fought with him." Marcel sits up and Louis is welcomed on his lap, face hidden from Harry in the other Styles triplet's neck. 

It breaks Harry's heart. Even his arrogance melts away at the sight of the mother of his pups _not wanting to see him._ He's ready to grovel and beg. 

"Yes." Harry clears his throat and keeps his stare on Louis' form curved to fit Marcel's. 

"So you fix it." 

Looking now at how Louis is not acknowledging him with words and those wide blue eyes, cracks a bit of Harry's pride. 

Not _enough_. 

" _Go._ " Harry hates more than rogue wolves, to use his _Alfa_ voice. It gave him a raw and hoarse timbre in his voice that made Louis cringe now and Marcel growl in the hopes of ignoring his order. 

"Louis needs me here." Marcel responds calmly. "You go."

Louis says nothing. That's enough of a message to Harry and he hands Marcel the plate with a tired sigh. He bends over slightly to give Marcel's forehead an apology-encompassing peck. His first glance of Louis' eyes comes when he's leaning in and even though his miserable guilt surfaces, he can't force a smile for his Omega because of over twenty years without one. 

"For you." He kisses Louis' cheek without permission and withdraws quickly, hastening out the door and downstairs. 

Once his departure is finalised with a swift and sudden bang resonating through their home from his forced exerted on the front door, Louis' stiff spine melts into pure liquid gold guilt. His sigh is shaky and his eyes are troubled. 

"You need not feel guilty for anything, pumpkin." Marcel assures him warmly, large hands rubbing his perfectly dipped back. 

"I hurt him." Louis whimpers, afraid and vulnerable. 

"No you didn't."

"His feelings. I saw how his face changed."

"He knows he is in the wrong."

"Doesn't matter." Louis shakes his head and curls his arm around his mate's neck. "It _doesn't matter_ because I hurt his feelings."

"Well then, pumpkin-" Marcel gathers up some soup in the warm spoon. "-once he's made good with Edward again, you can apologise."

Louis is a little pleased to hear that someone doesn't think his bogus for wanting to apologise for something so meek. He let's Marcel feed him soup while he nibbles on warm bread all on his own, humming at the warm pleasant sensation that falls down to his stomach. Who knew he could be so little yet so hungry?

  
* * * * *  


Edward made it to the thickest clump of trees near their cottage, before his wolf became even more aggressive. He was on edge all day long and didn't need the added stress of his brother going all _Alfa_ bullshit on him. Yes, Harry's mate was pregnant and that was a reason to become slightly primal but if he and Marcel could control themselves and how dare Harry manipulate them with his authority?

His eyes were burning red, more than bloodshot and close to molten lava. The colour was vibrant and _terrifying_ as it was never seen before in the pack, aside from when Harry had his outbursts after something went wrong. 

He smelt Harry before he saw him, but the red in his eyes blinded him to most sensible things. He had to be angry enough to get that red, and it was hard coming down from that high. 

When Harry got close enough with his jaws vibrating in a steady growl, Edward rested on the ground to keep from hurting him. He pointedly ignored Harry's wolf form stalking closer to him. Harry nudged his side and Edward snapped his jaws at him, warning him off. 

Harry decided to sit right in front of him and wait with him. It pissed Edward off to high Hell because he wanted to be alone. 

"Louis is upset with me." Harry changed back to his clothed human self. "He won't even look at me."

Edward's wolf huffs and raises his head above his shoulders to show that he is in no way in the mood for joking. His brother offended him by being so blunt and harsh. 

"You try being ignored by Louis." Harry tries again, eyes sparking silver. "It will break your heart."

Getting annoyed enough to change back to his human self, Edward sits up against a tree trunk and glares at Harry. "You bastard."

"I'm not going to apologise."

"I know so fuck _off_." The last word comes out sharper and more vicious than the others, although not unintended. 

"We're both not allowed back in our home, let alone our _bed_ , until this issue is resolved."

Edward's muzzle twists into a frightening snarl and he lurches forward with his hind legs shivering under the strain in his muscles. His claws dig into the soil as he lunges towards his human brother. If Harry wanted to settle things, this is how they would do it.

  
* * * * *  


Louis felt the weak pulse of injury through their bond, then the speedy recovery. He sighs and looks up at Marcel who is done feeding him and is leaning against the headboard with him. 

"I have Julius Caesar and Archilles for brothers." The young Alpha remarks casually, aware that Harry and Edward were fighting - in whatever form - wherever they were. 

Even if Louis wanted to smile, he wouldn't. "This is my fault."

"No, it isn't. You didn't make Harry offend Edward."

"We don't even know that he did."

"Oh trust me, he did."

"What did he say?"

Marcel had Alpha hearing, so of course he could hear the debaccle between siblings downstairs. "Pumpkin-"

"Tell me."

"Harry went a little crazy and used his _Alfa_ voice on Edward at least twice. That's very disrespectful to Edward."

Louis' guilt crushed him. He couldn't fix this now because he couldn't move without risking the dependant lives of their puppies. Instead, he kisses Marcel's cheek and pulls almost entirely away to emit a high-pitched whine that travelled through the air like ice through shear material. 

It was a sound of distress and a big fat lie. Louis just wanted his absent Alphas to come back so that he could talk to them rather than have someone get hurt. 

Marcel is closest and therefore reacts the fastest to Louis' scared noise. He whines and checks his lovely mate for anything that's hurt, despite already knowing that's fruitless. He hauls Louis onto his lap and does a thorough inspection of his middle where their pups were resting. His chest cavity vibrates with his repetitive low growl. 

"I'm fine, Alpha." Louis promises, pecking Marcel's cheek. 

The front door flies open approximately two seconds after Louis made the noise, and their staircase buckles under the weight of two frantic, worried Alphas vying to see their mate first. Edward gets into the bedroom first, and his red eyes from before have dissolved into scared black again. Harry shoves past him - there's a sickening crunch that makes the latter hiss. The _Alfa_ growls at Edward when he makes the noise. 

"What's wrong, sweet?" Harry kneels by the edge of the bed closest to Louis. "Are you hurt?"

Edward and Marcel share a look that Louis notices and can partially decipher because of his time with the triplets. 

He puts a hand on his tummy and smiles weakly. "I-I'm fine."

Harry's frown conveys his anger from earlier and confusion presently. "Why did you call?"

Marcel's arms tightened around him and Louis is not happy about the connotations of such an act. Edward knows from Marcel's silent message what they're here for, and he isn't totally objecting. 

"I had to." Louis swallows and bites his lip. The mad look in Harry's eye is less appealing. "I didn't want you or Edward getting hurt."

"So you're not hurt?"

"Thank you, little dove." Edward forces in an interruption. "I think we could both use some sleep."

Louis couldn't look away from Harry, who seemed to be slowly breaking away to reveal something bigger and more monstrous. "I'm sorry, Alpha."

"That sound is serious, Louis." Harry ignores Edward for Louis. "How can you just _use_ it as a type of....fucking siren?"

"Harry, he said he's sorry."

"The entire _pack_ heard you and now they think we can't protect you." Harry just barely manages to cover his lethal glare. "Worse, if you started a panic."

"We'll talk to them. They'll understand." Louis says, wide blue eyes bore into Harry's. "I don't know what.....what you learnt where you came from, but here we don't take things lightly."

"Hey!" Edward harshly shoves Harry's shoulder. "That's fucking enough. You've said enough."

Harry pushes his brother's hand off him and the red flecks in his black eye has become more prominent. Marcel decides it's time to go, and whispers so in Louis' ear. 

"C'mon, pumpkin. We're going to sleep downstairs, okay?" He relies on Edward to keep Harry away while he gets a hurt and slightly scared Louis downstairs. 

"He's not going downstairs. He's not going _anywhere._ " Harry pointlessly argues. 

Marcel gets up on the opposite end of the bed and picks Louis up when the Omega offers him his hand. Louis was sensitive and close to tears but Marcel had to get him away from Harry first. 

"Enough." Edward speaks slowly and softly, blocking off Harry's path with his body. "Let them go."

'Them' stood for another thing in Harry's head. It meant Louis and his pups, his unprotected babies if Louis left. He doesn't realise that he had offended Louis or his brothers, all he sees is Louis leaving and Marcel leading the way. 

There's one dead second before Harry's growl sets the ceiling on rattle and Louis' spine shudders. He makes the mistake of looking back and fuelling Harry enough with the sad look in his blue eyes, to change to his wolf right there in their bedroom. He removed the obstacle that was Edward and in a lightning speed motion, moved forward without caution.   
Louis noticed that he didn't slow down and that his eight foot wolf was set on him, jaws parted and teeth on display. The Omega saw this moment before, when Harry chased him in his school's courtyard. 

He saw the same evil. 

**_[A/N: Sorta pointless chapter? I'm so sorry. Happy anniversary, 1D :') 5 years with these guys has been a dream.]_ **


	14. XIV

**_[A/N: Okay I have lots to say :( please comment if you read this....maybe? First, the Louis pregnancy rumour is true (by Simon Cowell's words). Louis was irresponsible and I'm so upset but I'll continue writing bc I've managed to make fictitious Louis different from Tommo, in my head that is. Next, I'm sorry for not updating forever on Wattpad haha but my Wi-Fi was down and I can only update on AO3 on my Blackberry. Thirdly, I have two major presentations coming up so wish me luck bc I'm terrified. Lastly, I was recently injured by falling down some steps and almost shattering my thumb during another incident. As a result, I did not Beta this so forgive any errors. Another reminder: Do NOT post my story anywhere as your own or either give me credit. If anyone sees my stories up on any other site or another person's account other than my own on Wattpad (SSTomlinson) or AO3 (SS98) then please notify me :) - S xx]_ **

_"You told me you loved me."_

_"I had to."_

**Continued...**

_Harry treated Louis like he used to before the truth was revealed. Louis got good meals and a decent home, but they never spoke because Harry had business motives and Louis was a hostage. Louis' agency collapsed after their headquarters were blown up on an international broadcast, and Louis felt himself lose the will to live. Clearly he didn't deserve love or trust, or an occupation._

_Louis stayed in the locked room he was assigned until a new person that was higher up in the mob chain of authority, paid him a visit. He was given a chance to redeem his life, so long as he worked for them. He was a talent that couldn't be wasted. His first mission would be termination, and the target subject was Harry._

_When they got the chance to confront each other, past lovers and former friends, Louis had recovered from his phase of depression and took out half of Harry's office to get to him. They stood by the window they both knew well, as Harry had spent one night months ago making love to Louis against it for all the world to see._

_"If you ever loved me, you'll put your gun down._

_Harry had a Browning pointed at Louis, as Louis had one pointed at him. They stared at each other without shaking or averting their focus._

_"You never loved me."_

_Louis pulled the trigger with the barrel pointed at his own heart, because he never really had a worthy one._

**_[A/N: What even? I'm so sorry for the cruel angst above. The short stories with the most votes to become a fic is the Agent Louis/Mob Harry (woops), Merchant Harry/Baker Louis, and Prisoner Harry/Louis. Choose from those, or any of the ones to follow :) Lots of suggestions about what's going to happen in this chapter O.o I hope this is good enough. - S xx]_ **

**He saw the same evil.**

With Harry's objective being to get to Louis, to show his mate what the fire in his passion meant, it left little reason to be made. He was too unfocused and unparalleled and his mind was just a narrow strip of sense. It was so narrow that he overlooked it completely. 

His snarl was ugly and the death in his eye stuck out like horrid black ghosts. Harry's wolf was eight feet tall and a true contender for the darkness that exists in the pits of Hell. 

"Harry!" It was Edward's voice that couldn't cut through Harry's shell and was forced to take action more effective. 

Louis held in a cry for Harry to halt, and his noise is heightened into a shriek of such high pitch that he feels it hurt his throat. The space between him and Harry's jaws is so little that the warm breath from Harry brushes his cheek. Before Harry could get to Louis or within distance to _touch_ him, Marcel took action. 

Edward bit and held onto Harry's neck to yank his backwards. His wolf's teeth tore into muscle and blood dripped into his mouth. The _Alfa_ growled and snapped back at him, he forced himself away and in turn his skin was shredded until the wound was gaping. The blood fell to the floor and created nasty puddles.   
By then, Harry had been pushed forward in his attempt at getting Louis back. He shoved Edward back and paused at an abrupt shattering noise to his left, followed by a whine and quiet sob. 

Harry walks through his own blood to the edge of the balcony, where their palisades had been broken by a great force. Marcel had changed and fallen past them with Louis cradled to his chest so that the Omega's landing was soft. The stairs were too far away and had Harry blocking them completely.   
Edward rushed forward until he nearly fell over himself, jaw still red and teeth stained the same colour. He stopped growling aggressively when he saw what lay below. 

Louis had rolled off Marcel's wolf and he was clutching his abdomen as he choked between coughing and crying. Marcel twitched before his front left leg was revealed from under his body weight. A large chunk of solid, varnished wood was sticking out through the limb. The supporting stand had broken but one of its biggest pieces pierced the Alpha's arm in a skewer fashion.

The shock registers in time for Harry to realise that he's no longer standing frozen, but is falling from a second floor after being pushed through the weak structure of a glass window. His fall is broken by the impenetrable earth slamming into his side with an angry vengeance. His whine is uncalled for and unpredictable, but the crunch of his ribcage rubbing against bone seems to make sense. He's not over the sight of what was inside their home: Louis looking broken and Marcel actually with a broken limb. Edward knocks into him from the side on the and pushes him over with a sharp _bang_ of muscle on muscle, before the bigger Alpha can get to his feet. 

Inside, Louis fights the rising bile in his throat and takes deep breaths to soothe his nausea. There was no blood of his staining any part of his body, but inside he felt wrecked and weak. He shivered from the shock and tears blurred his vision. 

" _Krasa_?!" An intruding voice calls to him from the door. 

Louis looks up to gulp and offer Nico his weakest, most pathetic smile. Marcel groans and the Omega pushes back all the logs surrounding him to rest his mate's head on his lap. 

"Get Meesa!" Louis shouts at Nico, not letting the Beta enter. 

If Nico saw the brawl outside then most of the pack must know what going on in their dysfunctional home. It horrifies him to think so, because it looks like the newly arisen violence and drama is his own fault. 

"I'm sorry." Louis apologises to Marcel, pushing the Alpha's hair back and steering clear of the wooden piece in his arm. 

Marcel shakes his head and clears his throat. His Alpha genes refuse to let him to show pain, especially not to his mate. "None of this is your fault."

"It is. It's my fault that Harry and Edward are fighting, my fault that you're hurt."

Meesa arrives to take care of Marcel's arm. She removes the wood in two pieces and bandages the upper arm with a simple white gauze. 

"You should heal in a few hours." She assures them both, before turning to Louis alone. "That was a big fall, _Krasa_. Are you sure you're okay?"

Louis sniffs and nods, accepting Marcel's hand when it's time to get off the floor. He leans into the Alpha's side when a strong arm is encircled around his waist. 

"I'm just a little nauseous." He explains truthfully. 

"No physical pain? Bleeding?" 

He shakes his head, wiping his eyes with the sleeve of his sweater. 

"Then your puppies are just fine but I cannot entirely stress how important it is that you never do something like this again." She says sternly. "It was a miracle in your favour but miracles are known for their singular appearances."

After she advices Marcel on how to exercise his arm once it's fully healed, she leaves at the sound of two approaching Alphas who just let off their pent-up steam. The guestroom door clicks locked at the same time as the above two events. 

"May I give you some advice?" Meesa looks up at Edward upon asking, as most would already know that Harry will simply disregard you. 

Edward's stride is interrupted, but he nods curtly without turning his head. His bottom lip with split open and his forehead was bruised but those were slowly healing. Harry was unmarked, unscathed and already manoeuvred past them into the cottage. 

"Maybe what I'm about to say is out of line but it has to be said." The doctor snaps her black bag shut and takes a breath. "Your mate believes this is his fault, when it isn't. Your babies are fine by an external examination but I suggest he stay away from any and all stressful environments, or that could change."

The Alpha's eyebrows knit together into an annoyed frown. "My brother being the stressful environment?"

" _The fighting_ being the stressful environment."

With a heavy sigh, Edward sends her off wordlessly and shuts their door after her. He figures today will have a sour ending and he doesn't blame anyone but Harry for it. The bastard deserves to learn that if he so desperately desired a mate and healthy nest, he's going to have to make some sacrifices. 

"You heard that?" Edward approaches Harry where his brother is kicking wooden rubble and trying to force the guestroom door open. 

Harry looks up from the minutely splintered doorknob to frown at his brother. The glare softens at the deeply upset expression on his brother's face, looking back at him. 

"Do you see what you've done?" Edward grinds his jaw and kicks the entire pile of wood to the side in one shot. "Are you happy about this? You pushed our brother off the balcony and terrified our mate. For _what_?!"

Edward's prized adrenaline pushes him through another round, and Harry's flitters from him to the locked door. 

"Con-fucking-gratulations if this is what you wanted!" Edward spat hatefully, pointing to the shut door. "Get something straight, brother. In this house you're not _Alfa_ , you bastard."

Harry listened to just the last angry statement before storming out of the house, his legs carrying him as far as the porch before he leaps down the stairs as a monstrous wolf. He kept going until he reached the eight gate of their wall, closest to the highway they brought Louis here on. He got the men in charge to lift the barricade and growled at them when they tried to follow him. He had to do this on his own. 

Before even trying to beg for forgiveness, Edward left their cottage and visited the appropriate establishments in Town for the repairs that needed to be done. 

"They're gone." Marcel uncovered Louis' ears and flexed his arm to exercise it a bit. 

"Where?" As much as Louis was angry, he was concerned as well.

The Alpha shrugs and settles back on his pillow, welcoming Louis under his arm so they were curled up together. 

"Am I a bad Omega?" Louis stared at the wall when he asked. 

"Louis-"

"For always causing so many fights. I know this never happened before I got here."

"Pumpkin, a lot has changed and it's not all your fault. Harry's always been temperamental and unable to control himself."

"Why can't he?" Louis mumbles. "He's going to get hurt, or hurt someone else."

"Harry wishes he knew that answer."

Louis exhaled slowly and nuzzled Marcel's neck, hiding in the warm skin and letting arms wrap around him so protectively. He's scared and worried for Harry, because he doesn't seem to know when he's gone too far. That can be dangerous for everyone around him. 

Omegas are loyal and Louis now felt like a complete hypocrite because he let one Alpha storm out unresolved and angry, while the other went off somewhere else probable feeling the same way. He had to fix this, but due to the physical condition he's in he had to wait for them to come to him.

  
* * * * *  


"Do you think he....left us?" Louis asked about Harry two days later when the Alpha still hadn't returned from his unexplained departure. 

"No. No, little dove." Edward reassures him though he isn't certain of the answer himself. 

"How can you know that?" 

"I just do."

Louis shifted between Edward's legs and settled back against the strong Alpha's chest. His smaller hands circled Edward's sharp, boney wrists as he straightened his back in need of support. His baby bump was well enough formed to show through any sweater he wore, though he only ever wore Harry's now that the actual Alpha specimen is absent. 

"Do you think he's angry at me?" Louis tries to withhold any fears or tears, burying his face in Edward's neck. 

"Of course not, love." Edward massages Louis' back even though it hasn't started to hurt yet. "Harry wasn't doing so well here and for him to leave it must prove that what we thought was bad, really is much worse."

Sticking his bottom lip out, Louis began to feel even worse. The stress was not enough to dampen his spirits in protecting his babies or make him not want many things, but his sadness leaked everywhere inexplicably. He always had one of his Alphas with him even if there were outside pressing matters. With Harry gone, one of the brothers had to step up and it was Edward who mostly did so. 

"Come now, Lou. You need to sleep." Edward had to meet with the pack in an hour, where the new pack house was being quickly rebuilt. 

"Don't go." Louis held his arm with both hands and turned in his grip until his legs caged him in. 

"Somebody must, love." Edward plants a series of kisses all over their bond mark. "Marcel isn't very good at giving orders."

"I heard that." Said the passing Alpha who went straight to the kitchen. 

With Edward smirking into his neck, Louis ignored the comment and called out for Marcel who just stepped through the door. "Alpha?"

"Yes, my fair love?" Marcel raised an eyebrow while Edward chuckled. They tried their hardest to distract Louis when the topic of Harry came up, because they knew as much as the Omega did. 

"C'mere please." 

Louis' one leg was hooked around Edward's a comfortable curve, and Marcel does not hesitate to come join them. He rests his head on Louis' thigh and rubs odd shapes with his thumb into the bare skin under his arm. Louis combs through his hair with slow, crooked fingers. 

"How are the babies doing?" Marcel asks with his cheek pressed against Louis' thigh. 

"They're tired today." Louis affectionately rubs his baby bump that's easily seen from a front and side angle. 

"They're just well behaved." Marcel kisses Louis' belly button. "Our sweet little pups."

The pups have been well behaved ever since Louis locked the door on Harry and Edward. No sudden pain or bleeding even, which made Dr. Meesa think the babies were being unnaturally quiet. The absence of one parent, a dominant parent, made the pups insecure. 

"How's the pack house?" Edward asks, lips dragging across Louis' neck. 

"We need to cover the top two floors in furnishing and we're done. Should take a week or two." Marcel answers him. 

"That was quick." Louis adds, surprised. "Last I remember, just the foundation was up."

"Our pack is exceptional."

After Louis' dinner, he is taken upstairs to rest in bed with Hercules while Marcel catches Edward up on pack business downstairs. The Omega would ask if he was curious, but he wasn't right then. Hercules dutifully clambered up the stairs and joined Louis on the bed as a better developed deer. 

"Careful, Hercules." Louis giggled when the fawn tumbled into their sheets with a lack of balance. 

He'd been working on the old, old diaries from the attic and all that he learned thus far did not hold any dirty secrets. It was hard work translating Czech to decent English, but Louis found that the language began to stick to his tongue sometimes. 

After going through half a page of drawn images in the dusty diary, Louis looks out the window up at the sky. He sighs and sets the book down, staring at the bold moon and wishing that Harry was seeing it too. The Alpha left for a reason but their bond was not broken so he was alive and well wherever he was.   
Louis still worried, as he still loved Harry deeply. He was overcome with confusion and stress that day, so he couldn't get a word in before his mate left. 

Sending his grief and love to Harry through their bond, Louis tries to get the sadness out of his system. His pups were expecting him to be in good shape, heart and health, and he couldn't let them down. 

A howl cut through the air and Louis' head snapped up. His heart sank when he realised it wasn't Harry. 

"Love?" Edward knocks on the bedroom door twice before stepping in and interrupting Louis' reverie. 

"Hey." Louis sets the diary in his hands down and smiles up at the tall Alpha. 

"I'm leaving for the night." He says, bending over the bed's edge to kiss Louis' lips. "I will see you in the morning."

"Have fun and be safe. I love you." 

Edward hums contentedly when Louis' thumb rubs his earlobe and his thin lips kiss his cheek. "I love you."

The Alpha stands and leaves the room with the door slightly ajar and passage light on. Louis gets back to the leather strap-bound diary and finds the page of images he was examining. The first picture was a wolf, elegantly drawn in pencil and certain details scrawled across little blocks as side notes. No hearts or emotive words, but by lazy translation Louis comes to realise the beautiful wolf he's looking at is the diary owner's mate. 

"Mind if I join?" Marcel steps into the quiet room with a can of his favourite energy drink and mug of hot chocolate for Louis. 

Louis pulls back the covers and Marcel gets in beside him, looking over Louis' shoulder at what he's doing. 

"She's beautiful." He comments, reading the notes and admiring the drawing. 

"She was." Louis agrees, as the Omega in question lived over a hundred years ago. "Her name was Elizabeth."

"And the Alpha?" 

"Joseph." Louis flips back to the introductory page. "He became pack _Alfa_ in the sixteenth century and she was his betrothed."

"Someone chose her for him?"

"Yup. His father, I think."

"Not that fascinating of a love story, I say."

Louis laughs and thanks Marcel for the hot beverage, setting the mug down to manoeuvre Hercules so he may rest between the Alpha's legs. He crosses his own legs and Marcel puts a protective hand on his bump that housed their pups. 

"Where do you think he is?" Louis asks, voice quieter and tone unsure. 

"Joseph?"

"Harry." The Omega sighs, looking out the window again. "I'm scared for him."

"My brother is a big boy, Lou. He can handle himself."

"But with the rogue packs out there, and every other threat?"

"Shh, hey. Don't think about it. He's just fine, Lou. He probably never even left our territory." 

Marcel knew he was lying to his mate because after a visit to the thirteen gates, he heard that Harry had actually gotten out after not so much as a command to his Beta. It was unnerving and troubling to picture Harry out there without any safety. 

"You think?" Louis sounds hopeful. 

"You bet I do." 

A few short minutes later, Louis fell asleep with his head on Marcel's shoulder. The Omega's soft and sleepy noises were enough to get his mate up and clearing up so the bed is more comfortable. Hercules curls up at Louis' front near his tummy, while Marcel keeps him warm along the curve of his back. 

Marcel looked out the same window that intrigued his Louis, sighing deeply when the stars begin to flicker into place. "Come home, Harry."

A full week got to pass, counted from the day Harry walked out, and Louis was being very strong with a medium-sized baby bump that was positively lethal to his present mates' self-control. On more occasion Edward found himself under the blanket with Louis, delivering kisses and other loving touches to their babies.   
Being strong however, also meant that Louis had to stay quiet unless otherwise needed. He never found the gusto to be quirky and chipper like before, because he feels somehow crippled emotionally at the absence of his most frightening mate. 

"Pumpkin?" Marcel calls from the kitchen - he's always in there nowadays - while he stirs something in a steel pot. 

"Hmm?" Louis looks to the side from the television and his bowl of popcorn. 

"Do you want to eat now or wait for Edward?" 

Edward's been a busy bee with handling pack matters while Harry was AWOL. Essentially, Louis feels like he lost two of his mates. 

"Now please." He sets the warm bowl aside for later's attention, and smoothed out the quilt in his lap over his very visible baby bump. 

"Aye. Who knows what time he'll be back." 

Marcel dishes out some of the broth in a bowl, and brings it over to Louis before climbing in next to him. His arm braces the back of the couch to circle Louis' shoulders as he takes in the movie showing. 

"What is this?" Marcel pulls Louis' legs into his lap, placing both palms on the baby bump. "Hello there."

"I don't know, something about elephants." Louis smiles and grants Marcel access to his pups. 

Nobody's spoken about names or baby clothes because it's a bit of a sore subject. Louis didn't want to bring either topic up until Harry's disappearance is explained and resolved. Having a third of his heart not around felt like a limp, or emotional disability. 

Louis ate in silence while Marcel paid particular attention to his tummy. Hands roamed the taut skin and lips constantly grazed the prominence. A baby bump was a new soft spot for Omegas, and target for protection for Alphas. Louis guarded his bump even when either mate was nearby and looking inexplicably moody. 

"Is it good?" Marcel took Louis' plate and set it on the coffee table, balancing the spoon to avoid a fall. 

"You're a wonderful cook." Louis kisses Marcel's nose before getting comfortable under the covers again, sitting upright. 

Along with other discomforts like swelling ankles and back aches, Louis has had a sensitive chest for days now. His nipples were forever tender and sometimes turned as red as the sun at sunset, but nothing happened beyond that. 

"How are these doing?" Marcel asks, eyeing Louis' chest with a questionably hungry gaze. 

"Irritable." Louis complains with a pout. He hasn't worn a shirt since yesterday because of the soreness. 

"The cream didn't help?" 

Marcel had offered to put cream on those pesky nipples for Louis, but the Omega squealed and took the tub away before doing it himself. He didn't trust anyone to not make them more painful. 

Louis hissed at a small bubble of hurt erupting in the left portion of his chest. "It got rid of the itch so thank you."

"Sorry, pumpkin spice. My offer to massage 'em still stands." 

With a roll of his eyes, Louis attempts to hide his blush. "Cheeky."

Marcel lifts his weight up onto his palms and leans forward to nuzzle Louis' neck, growling with a playful note. His teeth nip at their bond mark and he hums. There has been no sex under their roof for a little over a week now, as neither of the two triplets wanted to hurt Louis or the pups. 

"Wait, wait. _Marcel_." Louis groaned when the bubbles became a bit more frequent and felt like they were building a fort. 

The Alpha quickly withdraws and examines Louis to check for any damage caused by his good self. Louis pushes him away by his shoulders and kicks away the quilt to study the source of his hurt. 

Louis ignored him in favour of gawking at his swollen chest region. The dusky pebbled nipples were stinging from being exposed to open air, while a few droplets of something milky leaked out onto his skin. It was evident what the situation was and Louis was thankful to be able to feed his pups himself once they arrived, but the long road getting there just got a bit longer. 

"Oh." Marcel's voice changed to a deeper, less Marcel-like tone. 

The sound of it made Louis look up at his mate, concealing his chest as he felt it might have become the least desirable part of him. He whimpers at the look in Marcel's eye, the onyx pits in the Alpha's eyes that quickly flamed to red. 

That's _impossible_.

Louis clearly remembers how hard it is to make an Alpha's eyes red, out of anger or lust. Yet Marcel seemed to flip a switch and here he was. What was Marcel angry about? He was the first to know about the situation and how Louis was bound to begin lactating sooner than most. 

"Marcel?" Louis put a hand on the Alpha's chest to keep some distance between them. 

Glancing down at Louis' dainty hand on his touch torso, Marcel let's out a comforting growl and removes Louis' smaller paw with his blunt teeth. He promises not to hurt his mate, even if the red in his eyes was enough to make Louis' heart race. 

"Alpha please." Louis turns his head to the side when Marcel's eyes spark from red to silver, his canines extend just a little more. 

When the tip of a dagger-sharp tooth touches Louis' skin, he almost screams. Instead, the Alpha now pinning him down with a fervent warning to _not interrupt him_ , those teeth make way for Marcel's red lips to wrap around the leaking nipple first. 

The shock catches Louis off guard and he sucks in a sharp breath at the sucking feel. He tugs on Marcel's hair to discourage him but the Alpha seeks and holds his hands down, growling when the Omega resists. He suckles the cold droplets and drags on the puffy nipples until his beastly desire is sated. He was hoping he'd be able to control himself when Louis started lactating, but it doesn't look like he can. 

"That's not yours, Alpha." Louis finally gets Marcel off his chest and covers up his naked torso with a death grip on the quilt between them. 

Marcel frowns and makes a deeply saddened whine that catches in his throat and turns pitiful. He wanted his mate's milk. Because of this desire, he tries tugging on the annoying quilt to get access again. His lips were wet and tasted sweet from Louis' essence, his eyes trained on what is now hidden from him and fingers quivering with the need to grip Louis' naked skin. 

For Louis, this was experimental and on the right side of exciting. Now that he understands that Marcel is more wanting than despising, he wants to make the unknowing Alpha _earn it_. This milk is for his pups, and Marcel is going to have to work for it. 

"Mine." Marcel tugs harder on the quilt but Louis doesn't let up. 

"Not yours." Louis shakes his head and hugs the quilt to his chest, sitting up so their faces were a hair's breath apart. "That's for the babies. Big bad Alphas don't need milk."

Marcel _begs to differ_. The greedy sparkly in his eye along with the steady thrumming in his chest cavity, should award those around him the realisation that he _needs_ Louis' milk very much. He licks his lips and swallows the viscose remnants of said milk from his lips, which does nothing to soothe the burn in the pit of his stomach. 

Louis kissed Marcel's unresponsive lips and stood up. Since he was still early in the pregnancy he could walk for a maximum of two minutes a day at leisure. Meesa assured him that the fourth pup had found a home in his womb and was far more stable now. 

Not wanting Marcel to catch him again so soon, Louis heads for the stairs with a giggle at his mate's confused noise. A powerful growl from Marcel followed as Louis went upstairs, careful on each step. He made it less than halfway up before two possessive hands gripped his hips. The rest of the trip was short and hurried, as Marcel had him placed on his back as soon as they were in bed. 

The Alpha's narrowed gaze flickered from the quilt to Louis' eyes, needing permission but not wanting to ask for it. His long appendages curled around the quilt's end and pulls on it in small, short tugs. 

"Careful." Louis warns. Marcel thinks he's an adorable tease. 

With a new tactic in mind, Marcel starts a trail of innocent little kisses from behind Louis' ear down his neck. He's hoping that it will be enough to convince his mate to just let him have another taste. 

Louis whines high in his throat when the pleasurable sparks that are easily ignited because of his pregnant sensitivity, leave tangible arousal in the air. Marcel smirks when he gets low enough to be kissing the border of the woollen blanket, and he slowly begins moving it out of the way. 

He just manages to extricate the burdensome quilt when downstairs a door opens and closes. Edward's scent infiltrates the room and Marcel cloaks himself over Louis. He worked bloody hard to get here and he's not sharing. 

"Lou?" Edward is marching upstairs. 

Marcel growls a complaint and removes Louis' hands from where they're covering his chest. Soft, soft skin with a light pearl colour and making Marcel crave the taste underneath. 

His lips finally close around Louis' left nipple and he starts to suck in short breaths, a small wet droplet leaking out the corner of his mouth. Louis groans at the slowly burning discomfort, but he contains himself. He never would have guessed that him lactating would drive Marcel mad with want. 

The message of their intimacy does not go through to Edward as he still walks boldly through the bedroom door. Marcel's long canines are poking out under his lips and he's very careful when nursing, his crimson eyes are closed and peaceful. 

"Is he hurting you?" Edward doesn't bat an eye at their position, but simply asks. 

Louis shakes his head because he doesn't trust his voice. It's probably dry and hoarse as he suspects it is. 

"Baby brother always had the mad urge to breastfeed no matter how old he is." Edward mockingly smiles with one dimple showing and his smirk extending.

Appearing slightly pained, Louis clenches his jaw and pushes with all his might down on Marcel's shoulders. It had begun to hurt now that Marcel was simply pulling on him when he had no milk left. 

"He's persistent too." Edward chuckles and offers a small wave as he heads to the bathroom for a shower. "Peep if you need help."

"There's no-nothing left, Alpha." Louis manages to get Marcel to pop off his nipple. 

Marcel groans with a gossamer-thin moist trail running across his lips, eyes glossed over to give him a hypnotic appearance. He tries diving back in as soon as he was pushed away.   
Not wanting to let the sweet and warm feeling that blossomed with him to go away, Marcel evades Louis' hands and gets his mouth attached to any random part of Louis' chest. He hopes that with fervent progress he will make it back to his goal destination. 

Louis doesn't want to upset his Alpha but the thorough sparks of tenderness coming from where he'd least like to be touched, has not let up one bit. Marcel doesn't let him shift more than a recoverable inch away from him, and all put holds Louis hostage in his demanding grip. 

"Enough now, love." Louis pulls a smile and brings his mate's flushed face up to his own. 

Confused eyes meet his and slowly the red begins to dissipate. Louis sighs when it's all gone and at last he gets to see the friendly and familiar bright green he misses. Marcel frowns at himself but upon realising that it was all for an excellent cause, eases up on himself. 

"Hey there, alligator." Louis giggles, brushing Marcel's hair to behind his ears and keeping the Alpha from weighing down on his baby bump. 

Looking ashamed at his nearly forgotten behaviour, Marcel grumbles something apologetic and falls onto Louis' side. He hides his face and Louis can't help his fond smile that creeps onto his face. 

"Don't hide." Louis can't turn on his side so he tries his best to get Marcel out of the pillows. "I'm not upset at you or anything."

"Why aren't you?" Marcel looks at him with wide, starry vision. He does not regret doing what he did, but now that the haze is gone he's a little insecure. 

"Because it's _fine._ " Louis covers himself in a warm comforter. "You need it, and I have it."

Another groan. "Don't say it like that."

"Okay then, how do I put it?"

"Will you let me.....you know-"

Louis rolls his eyes amidst his nod. "Won't ever stop you, Daddy."

Marcel's face flushes with even more alarm and his cough makes Louis giggle at his modesty. He leans into Louis' side and kisses his cheek. "I just really need it and maybe it's a deformity of mine but thank you, pumpkin spice."

"Don't ever say that." Louis' scowl was more of a disappointed pout but Marcel felt the need to kiss it off him just the same. "You don't have a deformity. You're my macho Alpha."

He knew well enough that Marcel was not macho unless threatened or worse, but Louis also knows that Alphas like to hear such compliments about their nature. Marcel smiled and gave Louis a long, languid kiss on his damp lips. 

"And-" Louis taps his index finger on the Alpha's chest where it is trapped by such a large hand. "-I think I like this particular need."

"Really?" Marcel chuckles and drags his palm across the smooth skin of Louis' baby bump. He's so in awe of how beautiful his Omega looks whilst carrying their puppies, even though Louis looks exquisite all the time. "I could never explain it."

"You don't have to." 

"Thank you." 

They share another kiss and Louis giggles in an extra soft tone when the Alpha keeps his bottom lip captured between his teeth. Even when Louis starts to withdraw in need of air, Marcel growls harmlessly and nibbles possessively on the Omega's lip. 

"Am I welcome in my bed or do I have to confess one of my secrets too first?" Edward puts a hand on both of Louis' knees and draws them apart to crawl up between. 

Louis laughs and grins down at the new and naked Alpha between his legs that's looming over him with a necklace dangling in the air. 

"Edward!" He squealed, unable to help his laugh. 

"Having fun without me then?" Edward's smirk curls upward into a further amused expression. 

"Nope." Louis shakes his head, stretching up for his kiss. 

Sounding disbelieving, Edward hums and nuzzles Louis' bent neck for a short while. He soon shifts down to their babies' home and kisses that skin too in greeting. 

"How was your day within these confines?" Edward asked them both though his gaze was trained solely on his babies. He misses them. 

"I started lactating." Louis confesses, much to the cackle of Edward and embarrassed groan of Marcel. 

Across a distance far enough away to put a strain on their bond, Harry felt the happiness that coursed through his mates' bodies. It was a stake to the heart and he took a moment off running to hang his head before raising it in a apologetic, pained howl. It stuck in the night air but he knows they didn't hear it. 

**_[A/N: lol I don't think the Marcel/Daddy kink will stick with you guys......? *insert suggestive eyebrows* O.o I don't know about y'all but pumpkin spice is my new favourite pet name.]_ **


	15. XV

**_[A/N: The Marcel/Daddy kink is all about irony haha it's kind of why I chose him rather than Harry. Lots of you like it, and a few want me to change the triplet it's directed towards. Let me know if you still feel the same way after this chapter - S xx]_ **

_It was his first party in the history of his life. Louis was beyond excited. He shopped with Niall all day and finally decided on the perfect outfit after hours of deliberation._

_Senior year held little to no interest for Harry. He was already getting some of the highest grades and still maintaining a rife bad boy image. The latter is just because he rode a motorcycle and decided his body would be his life-long scrapbook. This would be his thirtieth party in six consecutive months, and he planned to walk right through it._

_They met on the backyard porch where Harry sipped a foul smelling beverage and Louis touched nothing. The taller and more intimidating of the two got slapped across his face when he stood too close and blew warm air as he spoke lowly down Louis' neck._

_The conflict began that fine afternoon._

_Harry would find Louis in the hallways even when he wasn't trying, he'd frown when the boy looked away first. He eventually left conversations with his admirers to follow the boy with photogenic blue eyes. They had their first decent, sober conversation in a janitor's closet with Louis cornered by the brooms._

_Strikingly, Harry expected the infatuation to end though it didn't. He became unable to be away from Louis long enough to remember his old friends. Louis always questioned him but Harry shrugged, because Louis was a drug and Harry was addicted._   
_They were project partners, study buddies and eventually Harry got drunk enough to pluck up the courage to kiss Louis. That led to three dates and unique sexual experience that had Harry always wanting more._

_Somewhere between being madly in love and juggling an ordinary life, Harry got really drunk and pinned the wrong person to a nearby wall._

_Louis was gutted. He stood and waited for Harry to realise what he'd done, until eventually slapping him and storming off. Harry begged for forgiveness, sat outside Louis' door for hours without moving. He really loved Louis, and he'd much rather go insane than lose him._

_On his sixteenth day of being ignored by Louis, Harry dragged him to the same janitor's closet they had their first conversation in. He pleaded and maybe even shed a few tears and Louis forgave him on the grounds of a promise to not get stupidly drunk again. They were back to their old ways in no time, but Louis always struggled to grasp the concept that Harry was loyal to someone like him._

_"Why do people love each other?" Louis asked one day with Harry's head on his lap in the grass._

__"Because they can't love themselves, Lou."_ _

__"No, I mean why not be programmed to never love?"_ _

__"We're human, love. We're made as one half to fit our other half."_ _

__Harry was a dork and Louis loved him unconditionally. They stood to reason that in every generation, there is at least one pair of humans who will belong to one another from the get-go._ _

__

  
* * * * *  


"Breakfast?" Edward was cooking and Louis couldn't believe his eyes. 

"Um..-" He mumbled unintelligently, Marcel gripping his hand as the Alpha gripped him in sleep. 

"I have to leave early today." Edward gave Louis a kiss on his puckered lips for a decent duration. "We need to do an early run this morning."

It has been two more days. All in all, a little less than five whole days of Harry's absence and Louis has begun to feel the ache in his heart like no other pain a person could ever know. Each day he woke up from a dreamless sleep, feeling his bed to find it cold and void of one more presence. He was bound to their bed by bed rest and doctor's orders now, no choice about it. 

"When will you be back?" Louis brushed through Edward's hair with his fingers, taking a bite of toast drenched in maple syrup. 

"Few hours at most." The Alpha gives their mating mark a kiss. "I love you, little dove."

"I love you." Louis nuzzled his neck and hummed happily when the Alpha growled one of the especially recognised sounds, low and possessive. 

Edward was gone after another gentle peck to Louis' lips and one to his baby bump, that was expanded enough to peek out of any of his own clothing. The Omega loved how big the bump was, because even though it was a big no-no to lie on his back or eat spicy food, his pups were big and healthy. He felt them move every night before he fell asleep and he grinned when they fluttered under his hand like they knew it was him. 

"Marcel?" Louis had one leg draped over the Alpha's hips, as having his legs together was now uncomfortable. 

The Alpha grumbles something weakly and reaches out to pat Louis' tummy, lazily asserting his presence. 

" _Alpha_." Louis whines, lowering himself to whisper in his ear. "Wake up."

The brightest green eyes Louis' ever seen blink open to slowly focus on him. "Yes, pumpkin?"

"I'm lonely." 

Marcel cooes and sits up properly from where he was lying on his front. He helps not jostle Louis as the Omega climbs onto his lap, glad that he woke Marcel up so he could have some company. 

"And what's this?" He eyes all the food Edward brought up for them. 

"For us." Louis got comfortable and started sampling the breakfast dishes with a fork and teaspoon. 

After the food was digested and Louis was waiting for the sloshy feeling in his tummy to dissipate, he rested against Marcel's chest. The Alpha kissed along the pale column of Louis' throat, his careful paws roaming the territory where his babies were sleeping curled up together in Louis' womb. 

"I can tell you're hungry." Marcel chuckles with the exposed press of his teeth lightly touching the warm skin that's his mate's. 

"Maybe we are." Louis turns his head slowly to bump Marcel's jaw with the tip of his nose. He's getting better at concealing his true sad self within. "What are you going to do about it, Daddy?"

Marcel's cheeks flush as he hides in Louis' neck, making the Omega giggle. At the beautiful sound he releases a very Alpha growl that starts off soft and safe, then escalates to something that causes his chest to rumble and his teeth to be bared. 

"Marcel?" Louis looks at him in concern. "Alpha, what's wrong?"

This is not a usual response to something desirable that the Omega did. This reaction was strange and slightly scary. Louis' wide eyes searched the Alpha's slowly darkening ones for signs of an answer. 

"Harry's here."

The first thing Louis feels is relief, then irritation and finally grave curiosity. He feels the familiarity in his chest and the soft pleasantness that crept up on him when it came to Harry. He smiled and surprised Marcel, already trying to stand. 

"No." The Alpha caught his hips and held him still, nuzzling the Omega's soft neck and keeping him in place. "Don't go to him."

"I must." Louis argues. He's angry at the Alpha that abandoned him for so long but he missed him above it all. "My Harry-"

"Shh, pumpkin." Marcel tightened his grip around Louis. "Behave and let him come to you."

Louis' senses weren't as sharp, or half as precise. He had to listen to the uneven beating of Marcel's heart and pick up on when the Alpha started to growl steadily. These were his only clues that he could use to locate Harry. 

He hears some loud, abrupt noise outside but nothing violent. A whine but not one that's pained, and a howl. He's intrigued but held put on their bed. Harry's scent is pungent and tainted by something less appealing, as his footsteps crunch snow to step around the cottage's edge. 

"No." Suddenly Marcel is up and gently placing Louis on the bed before leaving the room. 

Louis is greatly confused but he does not call out to him. He hears their front door open and slam shut, before getting up to waddle over to the window. His hand supports his tender back muscles, fingertips pressing into the sore aches and his other hand holds the windowsill. 

All around him outside is snow for as far as the eye could see. A white blanket that encased everything on the ground. A few black shadows were visible if they were tall enough, formidable enough. His eye caught the silhouette of Marcel descending the porch steps and approaching a small group of others. One of them is Edward, and the other is Harry. He can't see the others. 

Louis holds his breath and his nails scrape the wooden window a little. His babies begin to stir and he puts the available hand on the bump, quietening them into ease and security. He kept watching, staring out the window at the confrontation outside. 

Harry didn't look very different, except that his clothes were definitely in poor condition and he was _exhausted._ The Omega whimpered at the poorly sight of his mate, and he was heard downstairs where they all were. Harry's head snapped up in his direction, their eyes connecting over such a great distance. For however long they were apart, they were still attuned to one another so finely that nothing hindered their ability to speak without words. 

"I'm sorry." Harry says for the thousandth time, voice hoarse and low from his fatigue. "Let me see him."

"You abandoned him. You left _our home_ , brother." Marcel blocked his path with crossed arms and a far less kitten approach than before. 

Harry's discoloured eyes were forced to part from Louis' at the window, and he stared at his youngest brother. "Not without reason. He will forgive me when he understands."

"We'd like to hear the reason before you go near him." Edward sighs, stepping up to complete their triangle. "He's missed you and so have we, but we will always protect him and our babies first."

Harry wanted to melt at the thought of his babies. He couldn't see Louis below the chest from the window but the pregnant scent that lingered around Marcel was enough to gather his hints. 

"Please let me see him." Harry pleads again. "I doubt I'll have the energy to explain myself tonight."

"Then you'll just have to wait." Marcel shrugs non-commitally. 

"Marcel." Edward cautions. "You know he's not lying. Let him see Louis, he deserves that."

Thirty seconds later Harry is trying not to fall down the stairs on his hurried attempt to climb them. His body was drained and his heart was slowing down remarkably. The hunger pangs were real, along with the aches of bruises and hurt. He stumbles into the bedroom with half his clothes torn off and finds Louis seated in the middle of the bed, waiting for him. 

"My sweet." He pushes on until he's collapsed onto the bed and Louis is kissing his lips like a starved person. "I love you. I missed you so much."

Louis pulls back and let's Harry draw away the covers so he could admire the baby bump he was sporting proudly. He secured the side of Harry's face, tilting his attention. "My lovely Alpha."

Harry kisses him again and Louis ignores all that is unpleasant about him at the moment. The matted hair and greasy skin, the shaky limbs and sweaty odour. He had Harry back and he's not silly enough to let that slip away from him. 

"How will I ever apologise?" Harry curls up in the clean sheets, protectively covering the bump that housed his pups. "To you and my babies in here. _How?_ "

"No. No, no." Louis wraps his arms around Harry's neck, kissing the damp skin and not being able to keep his tears at bay. "We love you. We love you so much, Alpha."

Harry grips Louis with a fierce desperation that leaks from his skin into the pores of Louis'. He kisses the bump four times, one for each of his pups, and relaxes as the dawning of the truth that he is finally here. He finally has his mate in his arms after a week of anxious separation. 

"You need to shower, Harry." One of his brothers interrupted hesitantly. Harry didn't care to know which one, but Louis knew by the gravely tone that it had to be Edward. "You can't have your filth gettin' on Lou."

Harry objected. He greatly objected. He held Louis tighter around his middle, kneading the soft skin and kissing Louis' chest near where he could sniff out the Omega's milk. He makes a curious noise, instantly forgetting about his brother's request. 

"Come on, my Alpha." Louis brushes Harry's locks out of his bloodshot, red-rimmed eyes. "We need to get clean."

Edward has to pry Harry off Louis before helping the Omega stand himself. He kisses their pregnant mate's forehead and rubs his back soothingly before releasing him. 

"Be careful." Edward whispers to him. "He's different."

Louis already knew that of course. He looks up at Edward with a brief smile and peck to his awaiting lips. "Somebody's paranoid."

Edward's frown curves into a smirk as he licks into Louis' mouth gently, breathing heavily through his nose. "I worry about you more than I worry about myself in combat. I love you, little dove."

"I love you too, my warrior."

Harry's is stripped and closing the bathtub taps when Louis walks into the steamed up bathroom in his sleep wear - slightly stained by Harry's persistence. He glances up through the fog over his shoulder and stops to approach his mate. 

"You're hurt." Louis' smile falls like it burns when he sees the red streaks across Harry's chest. 

"It's nothing for you to worry over, my sweet." Harry encircles Louis in his arms, starting to undo the tied knot of his pants. 

"Why won't they heal, Harry?" Louis places both his palms flat on Harry's chest when his pants fall and he's naked before the Alpha. 

"They will become scars. I have many of those." 

Harry takes Louis' hand and leads him to the tub, before bending to cradle his mate to his chest in a bridal carry and settling down into the hot water. The temperature is not ideal for an Omega but carrying four pups has made Louis appreciate many new, strange things. 

He leans back against Harry's chest, relaxing in the arms of the mate he's been without for so long. His fingers grip Harry's forearms when the Alpha's legs hook over his own, spreading them apart and bending them at the knee. 

"You've grown our pups so well, my sweet." Harry places a cupped hand over the bump, affectionately rubbing the skin. "You're the perfect mommy, my Omega."

Louis hums and closes his eyes, his head lolled to the side on Harry's shoulder. "They missed you. Pups need their daddies."

"I know." Harry picked up a coarse sponge from a metal shelf. 

"Let me." Louis turns around in Harry's lap, taking the sponge and a bottle of body gel. 

Harry hands over the instruments and let's his Omega wash off all the grime and filth covering his body. They unclog the drain and Louis uses a compact shower hear to rinse off any extra impurities. The dirt rinses off his body easily and the scent of musk is left behind by the gel. He washes Harry's hair with careful, gentle fingers that ends with his lips on Harry's somehow. He is cautious to not jostle himself too much, but Harry's mouth presses down hard on his own, sucking on his bottom lip and swallowing his whines. 

The Alpha ends up being squeaky clean, his tough muscles quivering when Louis brushes over them. Louis cleans the wounds on Harry's chest, removing the dark scabs and wiping the thin lines. He feels large, firm hands settle on his hips and he looks up to catch Harry staring back at him with an unrecognisable emotion in those miraculous eyes. 

"What happened?" Louis rests his forehead on Harry's. "Why did you leave?"

"Finish up, sweet." Harry closes his eyes and kisses Louis' lips. "I will tell you then."

"Tell me what happened." Louis says when they're once again in their former position with the Omega between Harry's legs.

Harry takes a flannel that's less rough and returns the favour of running it along Louis' perfect form. "I saw what I'd done and I knew that I couldn't live with myself if I didn't do something to fix myself."

Louis tilted his head up to take in Harry's expression as he spoke. He arched his back to let Harry run the soft cloth down that skin, as the water started to fill again. 

"You didn't have to leave." The Omega tells him, raw emotion evident in his gaze. "You didn't even say _anything_ -"

He was made to halt in the middle of his complaint by Harry's insistent lips pressing against his ardently. The Alpha groans and wraps his left arm around Louis' expanded middle to haul him up onto his lap so their kiss was easier to comply to. He parted Louis' lips and dove in to claim the essence he's been without for so long. 

His hand occupied by the cloth spreads out on Louis' chest, tweaking one of his nipples and growling appreciatively at the sign of milk. He feels overcome and hoists Louis higher cautiously, throwing one of the Omega's arms over his shoulders and latching onto his right nipple.   
Louis whines and pulls preventatively on Harry's hair, but the Alpha dips his left hand between his parted legs and his index finger circles the Omega's fluttering hole. 

"H- _Harry_ you can't." Louis tried retracting from the stronger Alpha, but he was held in place. 

Marcel is the one who nursed from him, every night before bed just because Louis slept shirtless and the Alpha's restraint was no match for their tempting little Omega. If Harry took all that he had now, there'd be nothing for the youngest triplet. 

"Can't?" Harry popped off his chest and peered up with glassy vision. 

Louis shakes his head with rosy, flushed cheeks and leans down to bump their noses together. He shudders when a fingertips penetrates his body. 

"No." Louis wraps his hand around Harry's wrist and extracts the finger. 

"Why not?" Harry looked offended. 

Louis sighs and slides back down to his rightful position, perched on one of Harry's thighs. He kisses the Alpha's cheek and cuddles closer to his warmth, getting burrowed into Harry's chest as the Alpha hid in his neck. 

"I love you." Harry got his hand tangled in Louis', their bodies aligned in every way. 

"I love you." Louis smiles against Harry's collarbone. "You're mine for the rest of the day."

"All yours, my captor. I brought you a gift." 

Louis frowns, wondering how Harry had time for gifts. "A gift?"

"Later." Harry kisses his temple. "Let me have this moment with you and my pups."

Once they turn to prunes and Louis cannot keep up his lies about being clean enough, Harry hauls them both out of the tub. He swathes Louis in a towel and carries him with comfortable ease to put fresh clothes on. 

"No shirt." Louis refuses the sweater Harry offers to put on him. 

Harry raises an eyebrow at this strange refusal, and steps closer to where Louis is sitting on the bed looking aglow with his pregnancy. 

"Why not?" Harry bends and nuzzles Louis' neck a little roughly but not harshly. 

Louis giggles and cups both sides of the Alpha's face. "They're not comfy anymore."

Humming, Harry reaches forward to brush his thumb over the nipple he turned red and sore in the tub. "Is it because of these?"

"Yes." Louis pouts, not releasing his mate. 

"Alright then." 

Harry tosses the sweater back into the closet and aids Louis in getting up between the cradle of pillows, before crawling up to be close to him. He pulled the covers up to keep Louis warm and their pups comfortable. 

"Why did you stop me?" Harry spoke in the awkward silence, kissing Louis' chest beside his right nipple. 

"I had to." Louis curls up on Harry's warm chest. "There won't be enough."

Harry's fingers trail down Louis' back to hold his waist in his grasp. "The pups won't be needing it for a while, my sweet. Why wouldn't there be enough?"

Louis' cheeks flame up and he peeks up through his long lashes. Harry is watching him with a great sense of curiosity, the darkness of his eyes ebbing on fire. 

"For-"

"For me." Marcel leans against the open doorway with his arms crossed and giving a stellar impression of Edward. 

"I should have guessed." Harry chuckles, the sound haunting Louis' ears. 

Marcel enters the room and sits on the bed close enough to his brother and mate, leaning back against the headboard in internal conflict. "What happens now?"

Harry looks at Marcel then at Louis. "What do you want to happen?"

"Don't fucking answer questions with questions. I don't feel sorry for you, Harry."

And _woah_. Louis does not like where this is going, and that Marcel is letting his distinguishable anger speak for him. 

"I would not have returned if I knew you'd pity me, baby brother." 

Louis frowns, sitting up and looking between his mates who have unsheathed anger in their gazes. 

"You don't get to leave whenever you feel like it. You left us behind for a week, we were worried sick about you!"

"You knew I was perfectly alright!"

"No, we didn't." Marcel snaps. "Whatever you reason is, it's not good enough. The pack had no leader and this nest was missing an Alpha."

"Marcel-"

The younger of the two was getting up before Harry could get him. "We know it's hard but how could you be so selfish?"

"Brother-" 

"Shut up. Don't ever speak to me again." He stormed out of the bedroom in a fury and nearly broke the stairs in his descension. 

"Lou..-" Harry's eyes were so conflicted. 

"Go." Louis removed himself from Harry's lap. "Go make peace with him. _No fighting_. Then come back to me."

Not entirely wanting to leave his mate but feeling like this new chapter in his life required for him to apologise to his brother, Harry kisses Louis' lips softly with modesty before getting up. 

"Go!" Louis encourages when Harry hesitates. "I want my home to be whole again."

Harry leaves in a hurry, determination burning through his gut as he follows his brother's scent outside. Pack members notice him, get a whiff of his scent and try to approach him to welcome him back but he growls at them. He gets to the edge of the clearing where he took Louis to reveal the whole truth about himself and walks through the inches of snow to where Marcel was sitting alone and vibrating with anger. 

Edward heard the commossion but made no active effort to join in. He simply walked upstairs to their bedroom after his brothers were gone, and found Louis playing with Hercules on their bed. 

"You must be tired of us now, little dove." He laid his head on Louis' lap, sniffing the mixture of arousing scents from the baby bump. "We are a deranged lot."

"Oh hush." Louis caresses his cheek with a small smile. "Everyone has their faults."

"Beloved, you are the most outstanding Omega there is." He kisses Louis' neck where they bond mark sat. "Everything about you is all that is good in this world."

"Edward." Louis lies back under the covers with the Alpha beside him. "If I had not been lucky enough to meet either of you, I'd not be the same."

"No?" Edward's inner instincts rumble at the thought of his mate with someone less worthy. 

"I would not be mated." Louis rubs his bump. "I fear what would have become of me."

"Nothing. Simply because that wasn't meant to be. You were always meant to belong to us, lay in this bed carrying our pups."

"Fate put me here." Louis turns his head towards the Alpha. Fate can take him away. "Where are they?"

"My brothers?" 

Louis nods, giggling when Edward exhales loudly and captures his lips in a kiss that disregards their condition. 

"There will be no more unpleasant encounters in this house." Edward mumbles, lips attached to Louis' as he gains what he can from the Omega before they're interrupted. "Lie back."

Louis does as told, his head resting on a plush pillow. Edward crawls over him and between his legs, placing a hand on their pups to ensure that the movement didn't harm them. 

"Hi." Louis whispers against the Alpha's lips. 

Smirking and nipping at the soft, thin lips that fit against his, Edward laughs. "My my, little dove. Don't you smell intriguing."

"I feel insulted."

"Not an insult, my love." Edward snakes an arm under Louis' body. "I heard you call Marcel Daddy."

Louis' cheeks redden from his blush. Of course Edward would be concerned about that when his brother just returned from being missing for a week. 

"I must say I am jealous." Edward doesn't rest on Louis' body but his flaming touches make it feel like he does. 

"Why?" Louis' grasp on Edward's wrist doesn't let up when the Alpha starts to laden his body with kisses going lower down. 

A soft tumble of noises falls past Edward's lips, envious noises. "You're my Omega too."

Edward kisses Louis' baby bump excessively until he's satisfied that his pups have received enough affection. Then he goes lower to the Omega's perfectly rounded hips that have become softer with the pregnancy. He tugs on the waistband of his sweat pants and bites harmlessly at the soft skin. Louis mewls and curls his fingers into the sheets. The pregnancy has made him susceptible to emotive responses, which clearly include arousal. 

"Mine." Edward keeps a spot of skin between his canines as he growls. "Maybe I have to prove it."

Louis holds Edward around his shoulders and gets heaved onto the Alpha's lap. Dr. Meesa assured them this would be the only safe position for sex. 

"Alpha." Louis' face is a centimetre apart from Edward's. "I love you. I love you regardless of any doubts you have. I'm your mate."

He felt as if Edward was experiencing an insecurity regarding their bond. Louis mourned for Harry and spent lots of time with Marcel, when Edward was hardly around. He wanted to assert his place in their nest, prove to Louis that he was his Alpha too. 

Edward smiles and swoops down to kiss the Omega hard on his mouth, turning his lips swollen and pink instantly. He strips the Omega of his pants as Louis kneels to be higher than him, securing both sides of his face and kissing him back with just as much eager affection. 

A hand slips between Louis' legs and he whimpers at the cool touch to his burning skin, his flushed and anticipating body. He tightens his fingers in Edward's hair and parts his lips to let the Alpha dominate the kiss respectfully. 

Louis' slick drips out of him, falling down his thighs and onto Edward's bare skin as well. Edward slips a finger into Louis' hole, wriggling the appendage and pressing it so deep that Louis' breath hitches and he whimpers. After retracting the wet finger, Edward boldly slips it into his mouth and tastes his mate's arousal. 

"How sinful it is that you taste like a drug." Edward positions Louis over his erection, stiff and throbbing from the lack of tight heat engulfing it. "I'm going to swallow every last drop one day."

Keening at his Alpha's filthy words and promises, Louis knots his fingers through Edward's hair and keeps his face pressed to his chest. The Alpha starts rooting around for a source of nourishment and Louis moans in a high pitch when his damp lips wrap around his nipple. 

"N-No, Edward." Louis can't get out a decent argument with his body slowly sliding down to fit Edward's length snugly inside him. 

He screams when the Alpha is bottomed out, invading his insides and claiming a space possessively. Louis trembles with the fiery nerves lighting up his body, and digs his nails into Edward's skin until they're bleeding. He's tight and clinging to the intrusion, clenching around him with slick dripping out between them. 

"Careful now, dove." Edward frames Louis' bump. "Don't wake 'em up."

Louis whines and stares into the black pits of Edward's eyes, his light blue melting from the intensity of the returning stare. Edward starts to move slowly, planting Louis firmly in his lap and grinding upwards to stretch him open further. The Omega cries out and bites Edward's bottom lip with astounding strength. Edward moans from the bite and offers up more of himself to be bitten and scratched. 

His bottom lip starts to bleed and Louis gasps in worry, withdrawing to apologise. "Alpha-"

"Don't apologise." Edward's lust-filled and hazy eyes are stern. "Do it again."

Louis wipes the droplets of blood off Edward's lip with his index finger. Grunting in disapproval, Edward takes his hand and licks the red off his fingertips. 

_"Again."_ Edward even sticks his bottom lips out a little in offering. 

"It'll hurt, Alpha." Louis' hips roll slowly back and forth, causing a stutter in his breathing and speech.

"I like the pain." Edward kisses him delicately. "Do it again, little dove."

In respect to his mate's wishes, Louis sucks Edward's bottom lip between both of his and starts to raise his hips as he bites down harshly on the soft flesh. He feels the splitting under his molars, and Edward groans in something akin to ecstasy. Louis drops his hips at the right angle, hitting his prostrate and causing a wave of slick to drip out of him. 

"Ugh fuck." Edward falls back onto the covers and Louis presses down on his chest with both his hands, rounding his hips and dragging out their thrusts. "Faster, dove."

Louis shakes his head and licks his lips, tasting the blood of Edward's on them. Edward mirrors his action, tasting Louis and his blood in turn. Immediately he sits up and clasps the Omega's hips. He tilts his hips and thrusts up into the intoxicating warmth. He repeats that move an innumerable amount of times, lips sucking on Louis' sensitive neck and listening to all the breathless noises surrounding them. Louis throws an arm around his neck, pulling his mate closer as his kisses left blood specks on his skin. 

"Come for me, dove." Edward reaches down behind Louis' back and applies pressure to his clenching hole. "Are you close?"

"Y-Yes. Mak-Make me come, Alpha." Louis' nails left red marks on Edward's back and shoulders, some welts sprouting blood droplets from their aggression. 

Edward's flat palm supported Louis' back as he fucked the Omega's heat until it got him close to his end. He mouths at Louis' chest, biting his left stimulated nipple roughly and slamming into him. The Omega shivers and whines, confused by his body's need to be fucked harder and for their pace to slow down.   
Sweetness flows into Edward's mouth from Louis' body, and the Alpha grunts in gratitude. His hips pivot erratically and slam against Louis' pelvic bone desperately. 

His orgasm tears through him and punches the air out of his lungs. Edward's not can't form but he comes just as hard into Louis' body, gripping his waist until bruises form on the pale skin. Louis shudders through the climax, Edward still moving in and out of him with the passageway lubed up by his slick. 

When they're down from their highs, Louis presses a kiss to Edward's cut lips and giggles. 

"Why are you so amused, love?" Edward pulls Louis off him and feels around the Omega's stretched entrance. "Made a mess down here, didn't we?"

Louis rolls his eyes and rubs the tips of their noses together. "Your fault, caveman."

Scoffing in a mock disgruntled tone, Edward rolls over when Louis lays down. "You give me the greatest pleasure in the world."

Blushing, Louis thumbs at the red slit on Edward's lip. "I'm sorry."

"For this?" Edward touches the cut. "I think you find as much pleasure in it as I do."

  
* * * * *  


"Marcel?" Harry steps into the clearing and dares stomp closer to his sibling. 

"Ugh." The other glances over his shoulder, creating a white puff of air when he speaks. "You stubborn idiot."

"You're my brother. I won't be leaving you alone anytime soon." Harry refers to Marcel's earlier request to never speak to him again. 

Marcel spins on the heel of his boot to glare with astonishing green eyes at his older brother. "I hate you."

"You don't." Harry steps closer, shaking his head. 

"I really do."

Maybe Marcel did hate him, and he had every right to be. Harry sighs shakily and his firm hand claps Marcel's shoulder. "I'm sorry, brother."

Marcel's eyes lift up from the snow to Harry's pained expression. "What for?"

"For abandoning all of you." Harry steps in front of him. "It was...incorrect judgment on my part and I know I've put you through something I vowed never to. I ask that you forgive me, please. I'm so sorry."

"Jackass." Marcel does not hold back from hugging his brother. "I'm still angry but I forgive you."

Harry takes a selfish moment to realise he's never hugged his brother before, not recently at least and for mere comfort. He hugs back as a new habit developing and seeks warmth in the bend of Marcel's neck. 

"Why did you leave?" Marcel pulls back after Harry, motioning for them to walk around the clearing. 

"That's a secret I have to take to the grave, little brother." Harry looks down at his boots. "But I swear to never leave again, never go back."

"Good. I might have to kick your arse if you do." Marcel jokingly bumps into Harry's side, causing them both to stumble off their initial path. 

"You wouldn't dare, baby brother." Harry keeps the original trail in view as they wander further off together. 

"I bet I can pin you now." 

"I'll take that bet."

Marcel laughs with his hands shoved in his pockets. "Maybe some other time? I'm a bit knackered after today."

Harry shakes his head in amusement and nudges his brother's arm when he sees something. "Remember those?"

The flowers were bright red and shaped like dragon heads. They hardly grew anywhere in the world today because of the depletion of the environment, or people's negligence. 

"I used to bring so many home everyday." Marcel touches the thin petals and thorns. "Edward was scared of them."

"He thought they were real." Harry sniggers at his absent brother's old mistake. "You never stopped annoying him."

"He had to realise they were just flowers!" Marcel defends with wide eyes and fumbling words. 

"Maybe we should take some home now."

"No." Marcel shakes his head. "This is the last bush of the kind and-"

Harry grabs both sides of Marcel's face and kisses him with as much force as he can muster for a raving drug addict who's been starved. 

**_[A/N: Anyone unhappy with twincest? There has been no demands for twincest/triplet sex so I used to try and keep it out of the story, though I got too close this time. Thoughts? Your story ideas and contributions are always welcome! - S xx]_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Harry.](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CL9uNy_UwAAjh6n.jpg:small)


	16. XVI

**_[A/N: Lots of thee are uncomfortable with twincest so let's compromise. I really want to have it in this story so it won't be too graphic (I will try very hard) and sometimes just implied. If it makes you uncomfortable, skip it unless I post a note saying something important happens/is said. That good? Let me know. Now, the others (majority) of you naughty, naughty readers want a continuation of what happened at the end of the previous chapter. I'll see what I can do ;D - S xx]_ **

_Louis' mother always told him not to wander off near the forest's edge where the tallest trees met their tiny village's clear cut grass. A beast lived there apparently. One that ate children and played with their little hearts. Louis tried to not be scared, but whenever a wolf howled at night he feared the worst._

_On his nineteenth name-day, his closest circle of friends dared him to touch the nineteenth tree he counted in the forest. He was prepared, as a young adult, to do not only this but prove that the folklore of a beast that ate children was utter rubbish._

_Louis stepped into the forest on his birthday, and his sisters' grandchildren still count the days he has not returned._

_On that day many years ago, after touching the nineteenth tree he counted Louis forgot the path he had to take to go home. He was not afraid, but he was anxious about it becoming dark and he being lost in the darkest forest his people ever knew. He managed to hit his head on a low-hanging branch and fall down a steep hill to a river's edge unconscious._

_He woke up when the night owls were hooting and felt exceptionally warm for lying on a stone cold floor. The movement of something soft and furry over his body had him jolt awake in shock. The moonlight peeking in through the cave's entrance allowed him to see the dozing form of a creature so large it stood to be twice his size, and its body was curled around him almost protectively._

_This was no beast, Louis decided. He liked the way this creature seemed to be protecting him, but he didn't know why. For all he did know, this lycan-like animal was bound to eat him for breakfast. He let this fear fuel him as he slid out from under the black creature's tail and bolted in any sensible direction._

_He ran for a few minutes before he heard heavy, wet footsteps sprinting to catch him. It was the animal from the cave, chasing after him in a frenzy. He pushed on harder until he saw the river, one that led to the village eventually._

_Louis' heart dropped to his legs and six feet under when he saw the creature from the cave standing in front of the river. Tall and broad, blocking his path with bared white teeth. If he was here, then what was chasing him?_   
_Louis had one choice and he used it up without doubt. He didn't stop running until he was close enough to the cave animal's growling form, to stand behind him and be protected._

_The cave wolf bumped Louis' waist with it's muzzle, getting the boy to stand properly behind it. It stood a little shorter than the beast that chased Louis here. That monster had a white, rugged coat with blazing red eyes and a missing canine. For all he knew (again) they were probably going to rip him apart and share him._

_He was proven wrong when the black wolf stood to defend him, and never let the real beast get to him. Louis' heart stopped racing when the black muscular wolf approached him and nudged his hand, wanting praise for what he'd done. Louis fell against him as he fainted._

_When Louis woke up again, it was on the same cold stone floor as the first time. He had no exceptional warmth and involuntarily whined at that. A chuckling voice that was later introduced as Harry, the wolf who saved him, woke him up fully for breakfast._

_Harry took him hunting for their food. Louis got to know the man as a best friend, and forgot out the ones who sent him here. He understood the forest even though Harry never let him go anywhere without him. Louis never forgot his home and on his twentieth day of staying the woods, asked Harry if he'd take him back. The older individual looked crestfallen and denied Louis for the next twelve times he was asked._

_Louis still stuck to Harry's side, for the safe of security. He brushed Harry's wolf fur when they were in the cave, lay curled up beside him during storms, taught Harry to eat berries and roots. They bonded over fires where they exchanged stories. After two months, Louis heard the first signs of civilisation when he was with Harry at the river._

_He remembers looking at Harry, then at the father who brought his two children to the river for water. He remembers seeing a striking emotion in those big green eyes, one that convinced him to stay._

_When Harry thought he was gone, he felt a small hand on his cheek turning him around to look down at the fit human he never regrets saving. He had his first kiss that day, bending over a giggling Louis to be as careful as he could be. They made love over and over again in the cave that night, against the walls and beside the fire. Harry worshipped every inch of the boy's body and his chest rumbled each time he got to lay a claim that was buried deeply inside Louis' tight little body._

_Harry's creature was not immortal, and neither was he. Louis stayed with him in the woods for many years, producing three children that were just like their father. Louis upgraded their cave the day he began growing a bump, and Harry would often observe him moving around pregnant and glowing. He once tripped Louis just to fall first and have the boy land softly on him, no harm done._

_"It's been six years, and I don't know your last name." Louis' cheeks flamed as he realised, cradling their year old son, that this was true._

_"It doesn't matter now, does it?" He traced some markings on Harry's arm. "Are you the beast the villagers always talked about?"_

_"You hold my first born son in your arms. What do you think?"_

**_[A/N: The short story with the most votes is the Prisoner Louis/Harry one. Voting only ends at the end of this story. - S xx]_ **

**Harry grabs both sides of Marcel's face and kisses him with as much force as he can muster for a raving drug addict who's been starved.**

The younger of the two stumbles back and hits a tree with his spinal column, causing a groan to flitter past his lips down Harry's throat. The tree trunk shivers from their sudden collision, and some dried leaves fall around them nonchalantly.   
Trying to figure out what is happening and why it is happening at this precise moment, Marcel bites his brother's lip harshly so that the Alpha pulls away from him. Harry's still got his face framed in his large paws, breathing heavily down Marcel's neck with a swollen lip and strange noises clawing up his throat. 

"What are you _doing_?" Marcel is caught between shoving Harry away and drawing him closer. It's a fierce battle. 

"It's not cheating." Harry's eyes are stunning marble, his voice warm but frosty. 

It wasn't cheating. It really wasn't. They belonged to the same nest, irrespective of their blood relation. They shared a beautiful mate and had unborn children in common. There was no crime in incest anymore. 

By the time Marcel deliberated and justified Harry's single sentence argument on the matter of them snogging in the trees, the bigger Alpha had successfully pinned him to the tree and stood trying to pry his legs apart. 

"I'm Alpha too." Marcel raises his eyebrow challengingly. "How is this going to work if neither of us can take a knot?"

Harry's smirk grew from an impassive glance to a tilted curl of his lips that exposed one dimple and hollowed the other cheek. If that's not the most daunting thing anyone's ever seen from a beloved family member, Marcel is ready to sell his soul to the demon that Harry sold his to. 

"Neither of us have knots. Our mate is pregnant." 

Harry points out, tucking his apt fingers over the neck line of Marcel's shirt. He waits two seconds while his brother's chest stops heaving with trepidation and rips through the fabric. The shredding echoes off the trees and the rumble of Harry's chest while he does such a deed, bounces off the thin branches. 

_Our mate._

"Harry!" Marcel futilely protests when his top is torn off and his nipples harden because of the bite of the cold. "Louis. He's-"

"Sex within a nest is not forbidden." The pads of Harry's cold thumbs rub indignantly over the brown nubs. 

"What if Louis doesn't want us to?" Marcel feels obliged to return the favour, although tearing Harry's clothing could get him in big trouble with the bigger Alpha.

"We'll talk to him." Harry grunted, clearly annoyed at having to speak through the process of nearly tearing Marcel's pants. "Later. Now, I need this."

Marcel thinks, _screw the big trouble_. He pushes Harry's hands off his body and moans when there are scratches left on his smooth porcelain skin from his brother's nails trying to stay hooked on him. Using the dregs of his adrenaline rush, Marcel reaches for Harry's shirt and creates a loud rip all the way down the middle.   
The fabric gives way under his fingertips and he steps as far back as he can in his insanely confined space to take in the image of Harry's body. 

It was not sleek and excellently toned with abs to fawn over. Harry's body was tough like his self, his tattoos that never ended told a story of battle and blood, his arms were hard and weaponized. His bones jutted out as if he were malnourished at his hips and very vaguely at his ribcage. It's a warrior's body, born and raised. 

"My body will dissuade you." Harry only trusted Louis to gaze upon him without judgment and lots of love. 

"You're my brother." Marcel realises that forcing Harry to keep himself bare is the only way he'll agree, so he smoothly unbuckles Harry's trousers but leave them hanging open. "We share more than blood."

Harry takes the whisper as consent and without further ado, allows their bodies to collapse against one another in a mixture of doubt and lustful excitement. The haze was clogging their sense of differentiation, but neither cared for much else besides the skin-on-skin contact they shared. 

"This is _not_ going to be a chase." Harry snarls when Marcel attempts to get free of his caging arms. 

He sinks his sharpened canines into the younger sibling's shoulder right over a sore pressure point, digging in deeper in pleasure when Marcel howls in pain. Blood droplets trickle onto Harry's tongue and he nails his brother to the solid tree, growling before forcing his legs apart. 

"You're fucking stubborn." Harry gets one thigh between both of Marcel's before the muscular legs close on either side of his own leg. "So fucking stubborn."

"Like I said." Marcel's neck clears of the bite mark and he claws at his brother's shoulderblades - just as powerful and rigid as the rest of him - as he feels his pants tighten against Harry's rough grinding. "We share more than blood."

It's confusing and that seems to contribute positively towards their dangerously alluring intimacy. They're both dominant, both not accustomed to wanting to be under someone else. Harry easily gains control, and Marcel can do nothing but gasp and submit. 

"Stop." Marcel mumbles hurriedly, nails and teeth extending as his wolf fights to resurface. 

"Are you hurt?" 

Harry doesn't stop to check, he merely goes on rubbing their aligned bodies together until he can smell the burn from Marcel's skin against the broken bark, and his own fingers getting splinters from the chips of wood. He drives on harder, prying his brother's knees apart with force and growling when Marcel tries to close them again. 

"No." Marcel heals easily. He's breathless from all these heated activities driving his mind bonkers. 

"Then you'll _take_ it." 

Harry pulls harshly on Marcel's hair until his neck is bent backwards at a painful angle, his Adam's Apple moving slowly beneath his skin with the limited space. Harry presses his cold lips to the warm flesh, slipping his canines past the pink cushions and piercing the skin. 

"Say it." Harry holds them both against the tree in such a way that if it weren't for their complexion, strangers would think they were just an extension of the trunk. "Say it."

Marcel is stubborn, as proven above. He resists and pushes Harry's shoulders with a surprising amount of strength. He bites his bottom lip at the drop of warmth and attention to his crotch, but gazes across the distance between Harry and him tauntingly. 

"You don't lay claim on me, brother." Marcel blows out a cold white huff of air, seemingly innocent and peaceful. 

"I own you." Harry makes a grab for him, senses clouded with madness and beastly instinct. He tightens his hold on Marcel's neck where his fingers were curled. "You're mine."

  
* * * * *  


Louis woke up on Edward's chest, curled on his side around his healthy baby bump with the Alpha's arm splayed across his form under the covers. It's warm and void of bright lights. It's perfect so he snuggles closer to be under the Alpha's chin, smiling when he feels the restricting arm shift before tightening. Edward's thumb rubs the baby bump just briefly before he's asleep again. 

The next time he wakes up is when it's the middle of the day and there are two others present in their bed. He hasn't moved from lying on Edward's chest except for that the triplet with the worry lines on his brow was there too, letting Louis hold two of his fingers with his whole hand. 

Harry was in a peaceful slumber, his hand connected with Louis' selflessly. His lips were parted slightly to allow for his deep inhalations and exhalations, his eyebrows close together and body naked. Louis was sly about wiggling off Edward and getting wrapped up in Harry's arms even while the Alpha was asleep.   
He wanted to be as close to Harry as possible for this time now that they had together. Harry seemed to sense that he was there, and buried his nose in the Omega's hair as he held him close. 

Their skin-on-skin contact was one that gave Harry pleasant dreams while he slept. They had a lot of business to take care of in the pack, but they all think they've racked up a worthy day off. 

Marcel never snored, but he did now and it made Louis giggle. At first it was cute and soft, blocked mostly by Edward who lay between Alpha and Omega. Then Louis couldn't sleep because of it infiltrating his ears and keeping him awake. He whined lowly and pressed his ear to Harry's heartbeat, covering the other discreetly with his hand.

Edward woke up first and cooed at the sight of Louis burrowing into his brother's chest to hide from the disruptive noise. He untangled the arms and hands covering Louis' face before kissing his temple. 

"Hmph." Louis didn't open his eyes but he mumbled and tried escaping the interruption. 

Deciding to exact revenge, Edward indiscreetly - quite blatantly - elbows Marcel in the ribcage. The latter Alpha groans and sits up achingly slow, quickly recovering from the blow and shoving a pillow between him and his brother. His face is smashed into that pillow two seconds later when he falls asleep again, and the soft pillow muffles his sleeping noises. 

Edward squeezed one hand around Louis' front to rest on his baby bump, sensing their pups curled up together where they're safe and asleep. He kisses Louis' neck and closes his eyes again. 

Due to being pregnant with a litter of puppies, Louis can sleep for hours on end before waking up to devour every edible particle in sight. It was endearing to his Alphas, as it was with every mated nest. A pregnant Omega - however moody - was an accomplishment and their pups were their best achievements. 

At seven in the evening, Louis woke up when his body temperature spiked and he felt like he was sweating. He grumbled irritably and pushed the chest he was cuddled up to away so he could breathe. The cool night air relaxed his nerves when he spread out on his back, using all the space he can. 

"You've finally decided to join the world of the living." A large hand came to rest on his bump and a deep voice spoke in his ear. 

Louis blushed and batted the hand away from his bump. He didn't want to be touched. "Your pups are very sleepy."

The voice chuckles and got lower, sending shivers down Louis' back. "Their mom is tastefully obedient as well."

"You're weird." Louis giggles, turning just his head towards the Alpha and nuzzling the strong jawline close to him. "My big, bad and weird Alpha."

"My-" The cold tip of his mate's nose presses against his slightly damp neck. "-very tasty Omega person."

"Omega _person_? As if I were to be anything else!"

"You're also a very beautiful wolf, love." The Alpha reclaims a spot for his hand on Louis' baby bump. "Just two months more."

"Two long months." Louis pouts, linking their hands together. "I want to see my babies now."

"I do hope they inherit your gene of impatience." Sharp but careful teeth nip at Louis' earlobe. "Having four pups just like you is all I ask of this world."

Louis presses their foreheads together and kicks the comforter off like it offends him, huffing when he discovers that it's tucked around him. "Who did this?"

The Alpha feels obliged to reply, seeing as however dominant he may be in gender and nature, his mate always got him on his knees. "You need proper insulation, Lou."

"No, I don't." Louis pouted and carefully unwound himself from the covers. "The puppies and I are feeling hot."

"Better now?" 

"Much." Louis smiles and yawns behind his fist. 

"You slept for ten hours, and yet you're still tired."

"I'm carrying your puppies. You don't get to judge." Louis has become very sassy during this pregnancy, his overly submissive nature slipping away like tumbleweed. The Alphas were very intrigued by the change. 

"Of course." The Alpha chuckles, careful not to jostle the pregnant Omega as he sits up and cracks the muscles in his neck. "I apologise, love."

"Where are your brothers?" Louis looked around the room to find it empty, and that made him sigh. 

"I wish I knew." 

"I like waking up with all of you."

"I will make certain that you have us all here next time. You're hungry, aren't you?"

"Maybe." 

"I'll carry you downstairs then."

Louis shakes his head and rolls onto his side when he begins to feel uncomfortable. "Can't leave the bed."

"Oh yes." Harry leans over the wide mattress and brushes Louis' feathery hair back from his face. He kisses the Omega's temple and sidles up behind him. "I'm-"

"Don't think about apologising." Louis takes his mate's hand and laces their fingers together, pulling the connection onto his tummy. "I've had enough of apologies."

"What would you rather have me do?" Harry fits them like puzzle pieces and kisses Louis' neck frequently over his bond mark. "Anything you need, my sweet. I can't have you not forgive me, always upset when you look at me."

"I'm upset before I look at you." Louis states truthfully. 

Harry would normally be proud of his boldness towards the Alpha, but it just makes him sick to his gut. 

"I'm going to say this with as much conviction as I can." Louis turns himself over for the last time - too much movement is not good - and through the darkness peers up into Harry's riddling green eyes. "I was hurt when you left us, but I know it's in me to be able to forgive you. I love you, Harry. When you left, it felt like a piece of this home was missing. For me it was physically painful each day to wake up and not have you here. It's like swallowing thorns when one tries to not cry when their mate has abandoned them. I love you as I love your brothers and that's going to make me forgive you, but it won't be soon."

  
* * * * *  


"What are we watching?" Marcel walks into the bedroom with a tray of food for Louis, steady and being nudged by Edward from behind to try and trip him. "Edward!"

He didn't shout, just hissed and after setting the tray down got his revenge by glaring at the other Alpha. Louis rolled his eyes at their behaviour but happily made space for them to join him and Harry on the bed. Edward shared the burden of the tray by sitting opposite Louis, after kissing Marcel's cheek. Louis noticed and said nothing. 

"Some old award show." Louis answers, nibbling on a bread stick. He has build up a hearty love for garlic bread sticks in recent developments. "We're guessing the winners before they announce 'em."

"Riveting." Marcel comments, setting his head on Louis' lap. He turns his head towards the baby bump and smiled against the bare skin. His puppies always made him smile. 

"What about this guy?" Edward can't even see the television since he's facing Louis, so he uses the reflection on the mirror from which the moving images bounce off. 

"I don't like his hair." Louis scrunches up his button nose. "It's too spiky."

Harry chuckles, laying back on their bed and covering his face with his arm. Louis sat with a bent knee on the Alpha's lap, sometimes leaning against him to ease certain pressure points. 

"What hurts, love?" Edward notices the squirming, and his coal black eyes settle on Louis' bump to check whether their babies are okay. 

Louis shrugs but bites his bottom lip anyway, extending his arms towards the Alpha. Marcel shuffles away to lay back against the pillows while Edward hauls the Omega onto his lap. 

"What's wrong?" Harry doesn't have enough pride to ask. 

"Sometimes his body just feels really heavy. The doctor said it was normal and to prevent nausea, he needs to be steadied." Edward explains, a sympathetic look directed at his brother who didn't know this obviously. 

Harry nods, feeling like a shaken hive of bees resides in his chest cavity. "You okay, Lou?"

Louis smiles and nods, finishing the rest of his food and settling into Edward's body warmth. The latter ensures that Louis is comfortable before winding his arms around the Omega's middle and holding him firmly against his front. 

"Lou?" Marcel is stroking the soft skin of his mate's leg, from thigh to ankle and back. It's ticklish but far more relaxing. 

Louis rests his cheek on Edward's shoulder and looks at him. "Yes?"

"We-" 

Harry stops him by gripping his wrist tightly, turning his head on the pillow to give him a warning look. He wasn't ready after what he's learnt about his ignorance due to his absence. 

"What?" Louis raised his eyebrow, unable to see Harry but he saw the wrist movement clearly. 

Marcel shakes his head at his brother very slowly and confusing both Edward and Louis. Edward keeps out of the matter because he already knew. Marcel is _awful_ at secret-keeping. 

"Can I tell him?" Maybe Edward is the worst at not antagonising a person or - in this case - people. 

Harry growls and it surprises Louis into a gasp. "What's it about?" 

"No." Harry sits up, nearly cracking Marcel's wrist. 

"Tell me." Louis insists. 

"Not my place, little dove." Edward kisses Louis' nose, but the Omega huffs and turns away. He doesn't want kisses. "Why are you angry at me, love? I didn't do anything wrong."

"They did something _wrong_?" Louis' eyes widen. 

"Bastard." Harry's chest vibrates as he sucks in long breaths. 

"I'll admit it was naughty." Black eyes met Harry's mismatched ones over Louis' left shoulder. "It depends on how you see it, little dove."

Maybe Edward was testing Harry. He wanted to see how far he could push the commanding Alpha, if his absence taught him anything at all. Harry's eyes burned into Edward's for a quick moment. 

"I'm going to kill you." Marcel sighed and rolled off the bed. "I hate you both."

Louis frowned, feeling close to tears. He'd normally not be this emotional but nobody couldn't blame him. His Alphas kept secrets from him and played some sort of twisted Louis-in-the-middle game while they messed with him. Now, his youngest mate has left them to go to the bathroom. 

He pulls away from Edward before the first tear can fall, shaking his head and pushing the Alpha's chest away with his small fists when Edward tries holding onto him. 

"Leave me alone." He bites his lip, wanting to at least be in a foetal position before crying. 

"Lou." Alphas had inbred arrogance. They realise their faults too late to make a difference. "Lou, sweetheart-"

"Don't touch me." Louis curled up away from both Alphas, around his baby bump and under the covers. He was now in the fetal position, and some tears flowed freely. 

Edward squashed his gutted feeling and looked at his brother for help. Harry was most determined to win back Louis' favour, so he forcibly wrapped himself around the Omega from behind. 

"No." Louis straightened out and pushed a pillow between them. "Go away. You're good for that."

Harry's anger flared but it was nothing at all compared to his devastation. His lips parted to say something but he couldn't bring himself to have any worthy words. 

"Check on Marcel." Harry told Edward, voice broken a little like his heart. "Go."

Edward went without argument. It was a first. 

Harry turned back to Louis to find the Omega shivering with his suppressed crying. The Alpha removed the pillow and held onto Louis for dear life when the latter tried to move away. 

"St-Stop." Louis bit his lip to swallow his tears. It really did feel like thorns. "Har-arry!"

The Alpha nuzzled Louis' neck and ignored his protests, offering warmth and affection even if the Omega didn't want it. The babies were unaffected in the underdeveloped stages by their parents. Louis' neck bent at an exposing angle, his head digging into the pillow as he tried to escape the grip. 

"I'll tell you." Harry curled a large hand around Louis' throat, rubbing his thumb over his thumping pulse. 

"Don't tell me." Louis arched slightly when his mate put him on his back, crawling over him. His wounded Omega nature still wanted his Alpha's touch. 

"You're worse than Marcel." 

Harry separated his jaws and his blunt teeth sank into Louis' perfect skin. Immediately, Louis stopped wriggling and relaxed. Harry was a step above ordinary Alphas and knew how to subdue anything. He didn't let up until Louis was really calm and they could feel it through their bond, then kissed the small mark he made. 

"Such a stubborn little Omega." Harry embraced his mate protectively, possessively. 

"You chose me."

Harry's growl filled Louis' sensitive ears and ignited the flame that burned only for the Alpha. "Indeed I did, my sweet. Don't ever objectify yourself."

Louis hummed, wiping his wet eyes with a tissue and tossing it into the bin afterwards. 

"Can I tell you?" Harry loomed over him, blocking out the light filtering through the room. 

The Omega hesitated. "Is it what Marcel was going to say?"

Harry nods, jaw stiffening just a little bit. By now, the absent two Alphas found their way back. Marcel looked like he saw a ghost and Edward was impassive. 

"Marcel should tell me then." 

And well, none of his Alphas are in a position to object. 

Marcel looks at Harry and looks away before he can get a silent gesture. He doesn't know how to say that his brother and he had sex against a tree in the clearing where they grew up. It was a tough cookie to crack, to say the very least. 

Louis took pity on his struggling Alpha and gave him a small smile even if it didn't contrast his red-rimmed eyes and stuffy nose. Marcel took his wrist and kissed his pulse as a small talisman act. 

"We had sex." 

Well, Louis can't exactly understand why this is a hyped up confession. "I don't understand."

"Tell him who 'we' is." Edward encourages from behind. 

Louis fears his worst. He shrinks back on himself with sheer dread filling his system. Mates don't cheat on their mates, their nests. It's unnatural. 

"No, no." Marcel shuffled closer to the scared Omega, desperately getting him to look up again. "I didn't...see someone else, Lou."

Well now Louis is thoroughly confused. His frown shows this. 

"Jesus fuck, Marcel." Harry groans when the matter is drawn out in suspense more than it is needed to be. " _We_ had sex."

Oh. 

Louis takes a quick breather. He asked calmly: "Why?"

He kind of knew why. Being pregnant meant no sexual activity for a good long while during and post-pregnancy. He can't seem to be able to blame his Alphas - at least two of them - for their supposed discrepancy. Not to mention - besides learning his entire life that Alphas are to be respected and rarely doubted - he had his own perspective on the matter. Technically, there was no cheating. A nest belongs to the people within it among mates, so there was no crime. 

"Well.....-" Marcel scratches his neck. He's _nervous_ and Louis fights his fond smile. 

"Stop." Louis fails at containing his giggle. "It's fine, Alpha."

"What's fine?" Marcel has to know specifics here. There will be no loopholes in his household. 

Louis shrugs. "That you had sex." 

The ice is cracking but not broken. There's still an awkward silence settled in their air above them and Edward decides to end it. 

He makes sure they're a safe distance away from Louis and his very pregnant baby bump before collapsing on his younger brother, shocking Marcel into falling over onto the floor. 

"Did ya hear that, Marcy?" Edward beamed, bright and dimpled. 

Louis doesn't have the gusto to check on them over the edge of the bed but he knows they're okay and giggles at Edward's immature reaction. He looks up at Harry from where he lay, unable to see much past the tight-lipped exterior of his mate. 

"What's wrong?" Louis heard their dresser shake when Marcel tried getting Edward off him. 

"Nothing." Harry comes out of his reverie and returns the glances they stole from each other. "Nothing, my sweet."

"Don't lie to the mother of your children." Louis felt their legs get tangled up comfortably. "It's a crime, you know."

Harry chuckled and Louis got a glimpse of the perfect dimple indented in his cheek. "Oh is it?"

"Of course it is. Tell me what's bothering you." 

The Alpha hesitated. 

"Is it the pack? You know they respect you, Harry. Very much."

"The pack is the farthest thing from my mind, sweet." Harry roped his arms around Louis' back. "What happens to be the closest is my very pregnant mate being disappointed in me."

"Well-" Louis doesn't change his demeanour. "-I guess I'll be that mate you speak of, but I'm not disappointed."

"That's what you say."

"Because that's what I mean. Harry, is this because you think I'm upset over you and Marcel?"

They didn't realise they were speaking so softly to just accommodate each other, but they were and it rendered a very hushed and secretive atmosphere. 

"Harry." Louis knows his answer when the Alpha hesitates again. "Listen to me."

His mate is all ears, face lowered to Louis' bare chest where he rested against the remarkably soft and delicate skin. 

Louis brings his mouth to Harry's ear to whisper his words, his small hand combing through the lengthy chocolate locks of his hair. "You love your brother, as I do. You've been together all your life and now you're mated so you found a new way to express that love. No crime there, Hazza."

Harry listened and eventually the bed dipped with the weight of two other Alphas. Edward was being a nuisance he predicted by carrying Marcel in a cradle to his chest, but Louis was now accustomed to this manner of behaviour. Marcel was clearly displeased with being treated like a weak toddler but he said nothing. 

Louis heard a muffled _'Thank you'_ being said against his left nipple where plump lips were slowly creeping upwards.

"What are you doing?" Louis held the Alpha against his chest with a hand knotted in his hair. 

"Tell him, Marcy." Edward stood at the foot of the bed with his sibling in his arms. 

Marcel groaned and battled to get free again. Louis knows that's futile. Escaping from Edward's steel grip is as common as a dodo bird not going exist. 

"More secrets?" Louis quirked his eyebrow. 

Edward's face fell. "No, No. Lou-"

"I'm joking, Alpha. Don't look so startled." Louis giggles in a soft voice that reached every Alpha's voice just fine. 

"Put me down." Marcel has hid laser vision focused on Louis. "Edward, put me down."

"What for?"

"Harry's stealing what's mine. Let me go."

Just then as an act of magical surprise, Louis felt a gently slow suckle on his nipple that Harry's face was concealing. He should have known. The gesture was not making his chest ache with long pulls and harsh nips, they were short swallows and no teeth. 

"You could get hurt if I let him go." Edward warns Louis, eyes darker than their usual black. 

"Can I trust you to protect me then?" Louis winces when the sensitivity of his chest region escalates greatly. 

"Till death do us part, little dove."

If Louis weren't round and firm with their pups, Edward would have scooped him up and made off with him to a hide out somewhere. But alas, those hopelessly romantic plans are now foiled. 

Marcel gets in a short tumble with his eldest brother before getting his access to Louis. Edward stood protectively until the violence of the ordeal was over, then settles in behind Louis. Marcel wrapped his arms around Louis' middle and hid in his chest, pursing his lips as he sucks down the remnants of the milk left for him by Harry.   
Then he stimulates the other nipple with little kisses around the swollen, pink nub before closing his mouth around it. 

"Why you choose to taunt our little brother is beyond me." Edward sighs, folding his arms under his head on the pillow. "You know he has a mad obsession."

"My sole purpose was not to antagonise him, Edward." Harry smirks up at the ceiling. "I can't imagine wanting a taste of what is equally mine as it is his, being a crime."

Louis gives a small tug to Marcel's tangled locks and gets the Alpha to ease up the pressure on his milk deliverance. His mate realised that nobody was trying to take his place against Louis here so he relaxed. 

"If I may contribute." Louis interrupts the Styles brothers' conversation. "Neither of you will be tasting anything when the babies are here. My milk belongs my my puppies."

Louis had his no joking expression on so the truth he spoke was real and made Marcel emit a wounded animal noise. His mate has milk that he can't have in two months. He finds the resolution to enjoy it all that he can now.

  
* * * * *  


"What surprise is it?" Louis asks as if he hasn't asked three times prior and got an ambiguous response. "Tell me, in a sentence."

Harry chuckles as he bends to lift Louis up off their bed. It's almost eleven at night when the owls were hooting and the wolves were hunting. The surprise he got for Louis that was part of his mission to redeem himself, and it should be well recuperated. 

Louis of course could not leave the cottage for any reason, so he was taken downstairs carefully to sit on a lounge single sofa while he waited. 

"I wanna see." He pouted, impatient and yawning. The litter of pups he was carrying made energy a scarce thing to be desired. "Harold!"

"My sweet." Harry got down on his knees in front of Louis with a half amused, half troubled look. "Be patient."

"But the puppies and I are tired." Louis told him truthfully. 

"Again?"

"Yes again."

"Alright then can the puppies and you stay awake for just a minute until Edward gets back with your surprise?"

"We'll try." Louis covers himself up to his ears with his quilt and smiles when the Alpha pecks his lips. 

Marcel was asleep upstairs and Edward had volunteered to go out and retrieve the surprise without asking what it was, just knowing where to find it. Louis sat for seventy more seconds with Harry playing with his fingers before the door swung open. 

"What's it-"

Louis' mouth froze over, his mind and heart becoming paralysed for a split second when he sees the gift. It's breathing and _human_ , smiling sheepishly back at him. 

"Niall." 

**_[A/N: To those who questioned me: I do not promote or support any kind of abusive relationship. My stories are works of pure fiction and I do not condone the distasteful behaviour depicted in any of them in reality. Now! *raises hand slowly from the back of the classroom* I think the twincest isn't so bad. Judging by the twincest scene above, do you want it to be more or less graphic (on a level that everyone could appreciate)???? - S xx]_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Edward.](http://40.media.tumblr.com/e4be028f548d4b532ae486dbf4a46624/tumblr_nhc00wBdlC1r8ux4io1_500.jpg)


	17. XVII

**_[A/N: Firstly, I respect those who have stopped reading this story. Sometimes an aspect is just not for you and that's chilled with me. To those who stayed, thank you for bending your boundaries a little bit. I'm truly grateful that you're willing to do that for this story. To those struggling to come to terms with the twincest: Maybe it wasn't evident enough and I'm sorry for that, but the mindset is very different in this generation. As our innovations and way of thinking changed from the Renaissance to the 21st Century, the people of GNA's alternate world are very different. Incest is accepted within nests because of their understandings and not wanting Louis to get hurt. Louis was not angry because he is of the same generation. Basically, I'm not thinking as any of us would when writing this story. Next....the short story with the most votes? It's a tie between the Beauty & the Beast Harry/Louis one and Prison Harry/Louis. Woop woop. - S xx]_ **

_Harry ran his empire in the corporate world like he ran his home. He had nobody at home he cared for, and he had no employee at the office he favoured. His personal assistant quit when she got pregnant and he let her go, frustrated anyway that he had to now find someone new._

_Louis walked into the main Styles Inc. building with a satchel on his shoulder and long sigh. He spoke politely to the receptionist and made his way to the elevators where he needed to go up to the thirtieth floor where Mr. Styles' receptionist would greet him for their meeting._   
_When he got to the elevators, all were gone except for one and there was a very prim, proper businessman with shoulder-length chocolate hair standing inside. People stood outside even though there was plenty of space inside the elevator. Louis frowned, shrugged and got in._

_He met Mr. Harry Styles that day and decided that the charming but scary man had eyes too distant. Louis infuriated Harry in the best way possible when he rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet, and blew his fringe out of his face. His beanie never held that bit in properly. Harry escorted Louis to the entrance of his office for his receptionist to take the package Louis had for delivery, then begin interviewing people for the personal assistant job._

_Harry learnt that Louis always wore beanies and he never took them off for love or death. He never let Harry stand too close except when he was drunk. Two coincidental meet-ups later and a drunken evening spent feeding pigeons at an isolated park, Harry decided he liked the taste of Louis' lips too much to not ask him out. Louis said no and Harry was crushed._

_Their common meeting points were avoided by Louis while Harry prowled them himself when he's supposed to be working. His stock exchanges on the market began to plummet and his investors pulled out. He spent nights dialling Louis' number or watching his assets liquidating. Once, Louis had to go the little coffee shop down the street and Harry saw him the minute he walked in. Louis met his eye and spun around to leave. He made it halfway to his lonely apartment before Harry grabbed him and pulled him into an alley._

_"You, Louis Tomlinson, are not allowed to walk into my life then walk right out without explaining yourself. You've bewitched me and I'd like to know why. Why are you leaving me like this? It's cruel. I need an explanation and I need you to be the one that tells me."_

_Louis' beanie started to slip and Harry didn't seem to notice. Louis however panicked and reached up to fit it snugly in place. Harry's eyes followed him and he immediately backed up. The sudden act left Louis hurt but he tried to hide it._

_"I-I'm not cruel." And with that Louis ran off, his only secret revealed to a man who was now disgusted by him._

_Harry punched a wall when Louis got too far away for him to catch. He wasn't sure what he saw but whatever it was, it's something he's not disgusted by. They were scabs, flaking skin at the base of Louis' hairline and his neck. It was a skin disorder and Louis didn't have the money to take care of it._

_Deciding that he had to get his own life in order first before pursuing Louis again, Harry got his business through the sky. He felt his empty nights filled with privilege and sometimes a stranger's naked body but he'd always get up at the earliest morning hours and go for a walk around the bend where he cornered Louis._

_After two weeks of this, Harry worked up the courage to approach Louis' door. The apartment was cheap and not something Louis deserved in any life but it's all he could afford. Harry knocked - the landlady was kind enough to direct him to Louis' door - and waited. A blond chap with tired eyes and no shirt opened the door._

_Niall, as the blond boy turned out to have a name, told Harry that he didn't know him and if he didn't know him then he wasn't getting in. Harry bit his lip when he heard sneezing and coughs from somewhere in the back. He went to work, sat in his office and did all the research he could. When he went back to Louis' apartment, the boy himself opened up._

_Louis tried to close the door as he wasn't wearing any head gear but Harry was sick and tired of this so he forced the door open and stepped inside. He was not afraid of whatever Louis had and he told the boy this. Louis shivered in his poor condition. The disorder was a severe allergic reaction to the circumstances he lived under and he's had it for months now. His full head of hair covered most of the flaking scabs but they were slowly getting onto his bare skin and because Louis couldn't afford the medication, he let this weaken his immune system._

_Harry kissed him anyway. He knew it wasn't contagious anyway and wanted to promise the boy he'd take care of him. Louis refused his money and offers to pay for the treatment but Harry forced him to go to the doctor at least. They were told that for a handsome fee, a course of treatment can be given but it won't do anything for Louis because of where he lived._

_Being a true softie at heart, Harry made Louis go on two dates with him to the same pigeon park they went on weeks ago before asking him to move in with him for the sake of the treatment. Louis couldn't do it anymore and he told Harry that taking his money would go against his morals. He shook his head and went home to have a bath in vinegar because Niall found out that vinegar was good with burning the infection._

_Harry walks into Louis' apartment when the boy was smelling of salt and vinegar chips with a towel around his waist. He bent and connected their lips swiftly. ___

___"What is wrong with you, Louis Tomlinson? Why do you keep leaving me?"_ _ _

___A week later Harry had gotten Louis a decent job so he could afford the treatment on his own, with a small loan from Harry. Louis was all better a month later and he moved out of his apartment to live with Harry._ _ _

___The disorder came up a few times in later times but Harry never held Louis any looser or kissed him any quicker. He stayed with Louis when the boy showered and he took Louis out with their fingers interlocked in such a tangle that they didn't know how to let go. Louis asked Harry to take his virginity after they'd lived together for three months and after that, neither of them chose to be apart._ _ _

___They got into a big fight one night when Harry forgot to tell Louis about a crucial business trip he had to make. Louis cried because being pregnant and sad never really went well together, and Harry broke a lamp trying to keep his anger away from Louis._ _ _

___Harry slept in the guestroom but at something to midnight he felt a five month pregnant baby bump weigh down on his abdomen and he smiled. Louis curled up on his chest and Harry held him extra close, combing through the feathery hair that had grown a little thin over time because of the scars the skin disorder left behind._ _ _

___"What if you never stepped into that elevator with your little bag the first time we met?" Harry stroked Louis' bare back._ _ _

___"I don't think something so great happened just because I stepped into that elevator. I'd have met you anyway because it's just meant to be."_ _ _

__**_[A/N: Worthy of your vote? The tie is between the Prison AU and the Beauty & the Beast AU.]_ ** _ _

__**"Niall."** _ _

__Louis stared at his friend. The _closest_ friend he's ever had, with his knees drawn up to his chest and his ankles apart. He was on no man's land between extreme joy and annoyance - he couldn't get up and squeeze Niall. He did try though, and all he was faced with was a strong hand on his hip keeping him planted to the sofa. _ _

__Niall went to him. He didn't know why Louis was being kept at bay but he'll think about it later. His knees hit the ground when Niall hugs Louis. The latter is nearly pulled off the sofa but he manages to steady himself, crushing Niall right back._ _

__The bedroom door upstairs opens and closes. Louis realises that Edward and Harry have gone upstairs to give them privacy - or possibly spy on them with their freakish Alpha hearing._ _

__"Hi Lou." Niall smiles, his eyes wet._ _

__"Hey." Louis is far worse. He wipes his tears and lowers his knees properly to give Niall another embrace._ _

__Niall's scent is clogging his senses and bringing back all the memories of when they were caged in their school. Their school, the institution that's been destroyed and his best friend that to witness all that. Harry went back for Niall, for Louis to forgive him. Louis is not opposed to frenziedly kissing Harry. He's also not opposed to crying now because he's madly in love with a crazy Alpha.  
For now, he has to send those emotions through their bond but he _will_ deliver justice later. _ _

__"Where's-"_ _

__"Don't." Niall shook his head and got up to fit himself on the single sofa with Louis. "Please don't ask me about anyone."_ _

__"What _happened_ , Niall?" Louis implores. "We got a frequency and-"_ _

__"You actually got that?"_ _

__"Well yes. Were we not supposed to or something?"_ _

__"One of the girls from the Upper East dorms made it. She was a tech whizz."_ _

___Was._ "Oh God."_ _

__Niall laughs and wipes his eyes. "We sure could have used God's help."_ _

__Louis cuddles his best friend because he's certain Niall has been without a proper cuddling session for a while. "Tell me what happened there."_ _

__"Something attacked our gates." Niall closed his eyes and hid in Louis' chest, curled up into a ball under the quilt with the other Omega. "Something big and it had the _worst possible_ growl."_ _

__"It was just one?"_ _

__"Just one."_ _

__Louis wonders what this creature is that it's so large and unstoppable. And _Harry_ went into its midst. Louis shivers for his reckless Alpha. "Then what?"_ _

__"They managed to close off the dorms before it got there so we're supposed to safe but whatever this damn creature was, it tore everything down." Niall sniffled and Louis rubbed his back. "It killed the Parazeil they were keeping and you'd _think_ who so many God damn Alphas around they'd make a difference."_ _

__"I'm sorry, Nialler. I'm so sorry." Louis held his friend to cover for all the hugs they didn't get to share. "You're safe now."_ _

__"Harry made an appearance out of nowhere." Niall continued shakily. "Alyx was gone and he wouldn't have taken her even if she was there."_ _

__"Did she-"_ _

__"She's dead, Lou." Niall forced out quickly._ _

__Louis' tiredness becomes him when he feels fresh tears coming on. The pups in his womb are wiggling around again and he feels a pinch near that region._ _

__"What's this then?" Niall asks after they've gotten themselves composed again, placing a hand on Louis' abdomen._ _

__It's happened and Louis' so happy he wasn't there to witness the horror. He wants to keep Niall locked up and safe in their pack territory now. The Omega has been through _enough.__ _

__Somewhere in the house someone growls because Louis hears it and Niall removes the hand. Judging by the way the house ceiling didn't rattle, it wasn't Harry. Louis didn't get any emotions through his bond with the triplets so it couldn't be Marcel._ _

__"Knew it." Louis smiles, leaning back against the couch._ _

__"Knew what?"_ _

__"They're eavesdropping."_ _

__Niall laughs and soon Louis joins him, giggling together for a short minute to let their disarrayed feelings get back in order. The blond Omega seems to put two and two together in that little time._ _

__"Pups?" Niall forgets about the previous warning and touches Louis' bump again, eyes bright and a fresh smile tugging at his lips._ _

__"Yeah." Louis bites his lip, framing the well developed bump with his own hand._ _

__The bedroom door opens, the hinges protesting with such a quick and violent fling. Louis huffs and rolls his eyes._ _

__"Am I in trouble?" Niall hopes not. He doesn't think he can handle being a problem._ _

__"No, Nialler." Louis assures him, quirking an eyebrow at the Alpha who hops over the last step. Edward it is. "Yes?"_ _

__Edward's lips curl into a smirk that causes the perfect dimple to crease his cheek. He leans in with a hand on either side of Louis' head to kiss him with passion that belongs away from prying eyes. It's ordinarily an indecent act, and generations ago the older individuals would have labelled them as 'inappropriate' but times have changed.  
Alphas could - and _will_ \- display publicly their possessiveness over their mates and puppies at any given time. By Niall touching the bump Edward's possessive trait was sparked brightly. Nobody but the triplets - and Louis - have touched the baby bump and they do not appreciate outside people trying to do the same. _ _

__It's become a thing to be desired for mated Omegas and Betas. It the dominant mate expressed their protectiveness publicly it was declared fruitful and a good sign._ _

__"Mine." Edward pulls on Louis' bottom lip that's between his teeth, releasing it to watch the perfect thin cushion swell up. "I believe it's quite late, little dove. You need sleep."_ _

__"I'm talking to Niall." Louis replied, pouting and gesturing to their current cooped up private - when it isn't entirely private - best friend session._ _

__"Then you'll sleep in the guestroom with _Niall_ tonight?" _ _

__"Can I?" Louis glances at his friend._ _

__The bedroom door upstairs flies open again and Louis sighs. Maybe Edward will say yes, possibly Harry as well but Marcel will plain out disagree because he _always_ slept with his face buried in Louis' chest after he nursed from him. _ _

__So it is Marcel who jogs down the staircase. "What did I hear?"_ _

__"Edward said I can sleep in the guestroom." Louis grins, resting his head on Niall's shoulder. "With Niall."_ _

__"No you can't." Marcel does as predicted._ _

__"Why not?" Edward crosses his arms. "It's one night, brother."_ _

__"But-" Marcel looks at his Omega at a loss for words, but he's desperate._ _

__"Please?" Louis has really blue eyes and they always get his Alphas to do whatever he wants._ _

__"Okay." Marcel comes over to kiss Louis' forehead. "I'll carry you."_ _

__Louis' arms wind around Marcel's neck and he is hauled off the couch, Niall standing with some knuckles popping and muscles cracking into place. Not two minutes later the Omegas are in bed whispering to each other from behind soft pillows that are pressed against their fronts. Niall feels at ease here but this isn't his nest and he can't stay._ _

__"You always had cold feet." Niall mocks his friend, parting his calves where one of Louis' ankles slipped between._ _

__"I had to put up with your snoring so-" Louis promptly sticks his tongue out at him._ _

__Their door creaks and Louis giggles when Niall raises his eyebrow, speculative and teasing. Louis turns his head and watches three Alphas get closer._ _

__"Goodnight, little dove." Edward bends and delivers a tender kiss to Louis' lips._ _

__The Omega smiles and whispers it back. They never went without saying goodnight to one another so this should have been expected. Marcel is the one to make a depraved noise but he politely kisses Louis and his baby bump before leaving. Harry curls his fingers around Louis' jaw and pulls back from their kiss at the absolute last minute. He closes the door when they're gone and Louis turns back around to apologetically shrug._ _

__"How far along are you?" Niall asked about the babies, fond glint in his eye._ _

__"Two weeks." Louis replied. "Carrying four pups is _not_ a joke."_ _

__" _Four_?" Niall's eyes bulged. "How are you not a whale?"_ _

__Louis laughed and Niall hooked the crooks of their knees together. "I have eccentric Alphas."_ _

__"I noticed." Niall blocked half his face with his pillow and his one revealed crystal blue eye connected with Louis'. "What's life like here?"_ _

__"Between you and me-" Louis sighs with an amused smirk. "-way too many werewolves."_ _

__Niall bursts into laughter - he laughs at everything normally - and Louis is proud of himself for restoring some of that purity. "You must show me around."_ _

__"I will. Definitely." Louis nods in acquiesce. "Once I'm sure my babies can take care of themselves, I'll take you out on a date."_ _

__"Thanks, Loubear."_ _

__"No problem, Irish."_ _

__A few silent minutes past with them staring between the ceiling and the window. Niall basks in the personal security he's found in this pack, and Louis thanks whichever diety was on Niall's side for keeping his friend safe. He also fonds over Harry's commitment to him and finds himself smiling._ _

__"Loubear?"_ _

__"Yes, Irish?"_ _

__"Where's Liam?"_ _

____

  
* * * * *  


"Will you stop _moving_?" Edward grumbles at Marcel's constant shifting on the mattress. 

"I don't like this." Marcel lies flat on his back with a sigh. 

"You've slept without Louis for two and a half decades." Harry looks at him with a frown. "What's the sudden problem?"

"The fact that he's _downstairs._ "

Edward stares blankly at him, then at Harry who seems to understand and is going through the same struggle but is stronger than his younger brother. Fact is, they're all in agony because Louis _could_ be between them on their shared bed but he _isn't_ and that's cruel. 

"Let's talk about something." Marcel folds his arms and tucks it under his head.

"Lou just told his friend that there are too many werewolves here." Edward says softly, turned to face his brothers but his attention was a few meters away. 

"Don't spy on them, Edward." Marcel chastises while Harry finds it in him to chuckle softly. "It's rude."

"It's not rude because I have the right to ensure that my Omega is safe at all times." Edward explains then moves on. "Do you think he's serious?"

"No. He'd tell us if he was uncomfortable. Can we talk about something?"

"You're being a child, Marcel." Harry tells him shrewdly. 

"You're mature enough for the both of us, big brother." 

"Are you two going to be making inappropriate jokes all the time or....?" Edward turns his head towards them, angling his neck uncomfortably. 

"There was nothing inappropriate." Harry remarks. "Don't be a nuisance because you can."

"Harry." Marcel sat up to settle this argument before it started. "He's sorry, Edward."

"He never is." Edward says truthfully. "We stopped wishing for it."

Harry's growl permeates through the room, vibrating the walls and rattling the windows. Edward's finely tuned his body so he knows how to use his abilities as a weapon. He's not afraid. 

"Do we have to fight all the fucking time?!" Marcel exclaims. "It's so fucking stupid."

"He-"

"Don't you dare." Harry sneers at Edward. "Don't pin this on me."

"You're the-"

"Edward!" Marcel shoves his brother. "Stop it, both of you. You weren't like this when we were younger."

"Since Harry grew into his knot he's been a selfish bastard. There's no changing that." 

Harry cackles. "I'm back for a day and you're at my throat. Why am I the bastard in that scenario?"

"Why did you leave in the first place?" 

" _Enough >!" Marcel barks, snapping the tranquillity he hoped they'd maintain tonight. "Stop picking fights, Edward. Stop engaging him, Harry. Feel that?" He was referring to the heaviness present in their hearts from Louis through their bond. "He's pregnant and worrying about you two arguing. It's not healthy for him and it's not good for this nest so fix your fucking problems and go to sleep."_

_Edward gets up off the bed and says nothing to Harry, when the latter was about to open his mouth and apologise. He was tired of fighting too, and it always seem to land on it being his fault every single time._

_"Don't you dare leave this room." Marcel warns Edward's departing figure._

_Harry's had enough of this. He acts before he thinks and that results in his strong hand around Edward's neck, pulling him back by the painful grip to the bed. Edward struggles but it's insulting that he can't fend off Harry's violent advances, and goes with it when he's forced to resume his place on the mattress._

_"You're fucking staying." Harry snaps at him, eyes glowing nearly maroon and _angry_. _

_Marcel dismisses his brothers' behaviour now with a sigh and roll onto his side, facing away from them._

_"You're not in charge in this nest." Edward stands again, getting in Harry's face. "Being _Alfa_ does not licence you to be a giant arse."_

_"Being my brother does not mean I won't bite until it _hurts_."_

_"Oh you've proven that well enough, haven't you?"_

_Marcel hears that and sits back upright to glance between his brothers in worry. He can't lighten this issue. Harry is impassive, his mouth set in thin grim line. Edward realises that he shouldn't have said that because Harry beat himself up internally about it everyday._

_"Just go to sleep." Harry turns away before Edward can speak._

_"Brother, I didn't mean that." Edward exhaled a sigh of self-hatred and tried to get Harry to look at him. "Harry?"_

_"Go to _sleep,_ Edward." Harry grits, teeth grinding and eyes ablaze with frustration. _

_"I'm sorry." Edward gushes, feeling the regret radiate out of his pores. "Ha-"_

_"If you say one more word-" Harry cuts himself off before he delivers a threat he know he can't handle carrying out. "Go to sleep." He turned to Marcel. "I will be back."_

_"Where are you going?" Marcel asked urgently as Harry grabbed some clothes and stormed out. "Harry!"_

_Edward curses and pulls on his hair harshly. "Fuck. I'm so fucking stupid."_

_"You are." Marcel tells him before trying to follow his oldest brother but just ends up outside their cottage with no scent to follow. "How the motherfuck does he do that?"_

_He closed the front door hoping Edward can handle boiling in self condemnation for a short while as he sat on the porch with a fresh pack of cigarettes. He will wait until all his cigarettes were burnt out._

__

  
* * * * *  


Harry walked in very little clothing - a jacket over his bare chest and jeans - until he got to the clearing where he took Louis to confess his biggest secret. The air now smelt of snow and timber but the treetop where they sat still looked all the same. 

He made it halfway across the clearing before letting himself get angry. Edward had insulted him and offended him by bringing back a bitter piece of history Harry hated about himself. No matter what he did thinking it would prove himself, it always got trumped by the one thing he can't change now. 

"Harry!" Someone calls after him and the lack of a usual respectful _'Alfa'_ addition has him turning around. 

He saw dark hair with matching sinister eyes and turned back around to continue forward. 

"Harry!" Edward jogged up to his side, slightly out of breath but nothing drastic. 

"I told you not to speak to me for the rest of today. Now that includes tomorrow."

"Brother please."

Harry stops and gives his attention to his younger sibling, awaiting something that will make him care about Edward as strongly as he used to. 

"I'm sorry, okay?" Edward brushed his hair back. "I'm sorry I said that to you. You didn't deserve to hear that."

Harry starts walking again.

"Wait!" Edward growls under his breath when he has to jog again. "Fucking Hell."

When there's close to eight feet between them - Edward wonders how Harry learnt to walk so fast when he weighs more than him - Edward decides that there's no talking to Harry unless he's stationary. He sprints and his collision with Harry's back sends them both tumbling into the snow. 

"What the _fuck_?!" Harry pushes Edward off him so roughly that there's a soft crack noise followed by Edward hissing. 

"You weren't listening." Edward sits up and his shoulder heals. "I had no choice."

Harry's eyes were too close to red for comfort. He hated when they got red because he hardly knew what he did when the anger triggered by a short fuse took over him. 

"What do you want to hear from me?" Harry stood up taller and broader than his brother, a far more formidable presence. "That you're forgiven? Fucking fine. You're forgiven, are you happy? Go _away_."

Edward is nothing if not relentless. "You know how sorry I am, Harry."

"It doesn't fucking matter, you bastard." Harry steps away from him, clenching his fists when the underside of his skin starts to bubble with fury. "You keep bringing that day up like it already doesn't haunt me everytime I look at you! Get the fuck away from me, _brother_ , before I do something that's not reversible."

Edward is left to kick the snow and a tree really hard when Harry leaves him again alone in the middle of a clear field covered in snow. He hates his brother and loves him all in the same breath. He's aware that he can't go home to a nest that's missing a member again, with his Omega upset and pregnant. 

"Louis needs you, Harry!" He almost curses himself after shouts the lie. In a very technical sense, Louis does need Harry. 

It works to get Harry to pause by the tree line and turn around with a frown, anger dissipated like magic that they haven't seen in generations. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know, Harry." Edward called across the field with a sigh. "Take your anger out on me all you want but don't leave him. Not again. He'll leave us for sure with our babies if you keep walking out."

That got Harry moving back to the cottage after two minutes of deliberation. If he couldn't do it for his brother, he will do it for the only person who melted what he though had turned to black rock over the years. 

Something makes the birds take off from their high posts on the trees and both brothers stop moving to listen. When the hurried flapping of feathered wings moves aside, there's the steady hum of a very sturdy chest somewhere far off. The ground shivers and Harry growls. He doesn't like this threat to his territory and won't take very well to it. 

" _Alfa_!" His Beta bursts through the trees in his human form. 

Harry changes his stance and looks at the individual, ready to be receptive. Edward frowns at this display but stays to listen. 

"The thirteenth gate, _Alfa_ -" The heaving man straightened up. "-it's been broken."

"Broken?" Harry starts following the Beta as he runs in the direction of the gate. "Broken by what?"

"I wish I knew what the creature was, _Alfa_."

When Harry gets to the gate to investigate the trouble, he's a wolf after transforming in the middle of his travel. The guarding wolves move when he approaches the gate's steel shield. Each gate was external with a shield after it internally. 

"What did this?" Harry stepped back from the shield when it shuddered from a sudden impact from the other side. "What _is doing this_?"

"We don't know, _Alfa._ " His second in command said. "We can't get a good look at the creature from here. We just see black."

"Get me up top." Harry glanced at his Beta. "Bring two men."

  
* * * * *  


"What was that?" Louis sat up when Niall did, cradling his baby bump and hearing his back crack. 

Niall gets off the high bed and goes to the window. "The birds."

"Niall?" Louis watched his friend go into something akin to hypnotisation. "Niall!"

"The birds left the trees and then the ground shook." Just as he said it, the wooden floors rattled and Hercules came into the room to curl around Louis in fear. 

"Niall, you're scaring me." Louis stroked Hercules' snake scales. 

Their door opened and Marcel was at Louis' side in no more than a blur. The Alpha checked on Louis and felt that his puppies were okay. "Niall? Are you alright?"

"No." Niall muttered something to himself and sat back on the bed. "We're all going to die."

  
* * * * *  


The creature was monstrous and taller than Harry's wolf form. Harry had never seen a beast so big in his entire life, yet it resembled a well taken care of wolf with jagged teeth, sheer black fur and matching eyes. There was no telling where the creature was looking.   
It stood at their gate, pawing at it until it picked up the scent of Harry atop the giant wall watching its back. The black beast paused and stepped into direct view before shrinking down to a regular male's size. 

"We are _not_ fighting today." Harry warned his Beta. 

"You are _Alfa_ of this territory?!" The man with a voice like molten gravel and a smirk Harry could see clearly, shouted. He had brown hair that reminded him of Louis and the black eyes stayed as is. "You are the protector of the people behind this wall?!"

"And who are you?" Harry spoke in a level voice, knowing fully well that the new arrival can hear him clearly. 

"I can one of two things, _Alfa_." The stranger angled his body towards Harry, smile growing into something with underlying meanings. "I can be the last face many of your people see or you can give me what I want and we will remain acquaintances."

"What is the thing you want from us? We have none of your kind here."

"My kind is the closest living relative to your kind, _Alfa_. The thing I want from you is alive and behind your walls. A person."

"Who?"

"My son. Haven't you figured it out yet, _Alfa_?"

Harry frowns. Niall is the only new arrival they have and he immediately solves that puzzle. Turning to his Beta, he whispers quietly. "Bring me Niall."

The Beta turns to leave after a nod and acknowledgement of the task. The man below them clears his throat. "Not Niall, _Alfa_. Not Niall."

" _Al_ -"

"Brot-"

"Harry?" The smallest voice of all the people calling his name makes him turn. 

"Lou." Harry now pieces the puzzle together and the picture finally fits the scenario. 

Louis stood there in Marcel's curled arm, his bottom lip quivering and his eyes wide. He looked vulnerable even though he was safe, arms hugging himself and hiding his bump. 

"My son, _Alfa._ "


	18. XVIII

**_[A/N: Lots of you want the Beauty & the Beast AU AND the Prison one. Hmmmm. Listened to Miguel - Coffee for this chapter. - S xx]_ **

_Louis' neighbour was getting married and the pre-party and reception was next door to him. That meant shouts, chants and alcohol. He was going to plug in some headphones to his laptop and watch his favourite show all night to block out that disaster._   
_Niall had left laundry out on their clothes line before embarking on his pub crawl with the lads, so Louis was left to pick them up before the rain got here. His first trip to the back was to fill the bird feeder with seed and their bath with water. A deep voice spooked him into wetting himself with the jug of water._

_He turned to scowl at this stranger who had addressed him through the fence and had too long hair for a guy. The attractive individual had offered his help to Louis with a smirk but genuine will to do so. Louis refused and disappeared behind the side of his house as quick as he came._

_The second time he went to the backyard it was to get curry leaves from the tree Niall had grown, to make a meal of Niall's choosing. It wasn't Niall's birthday or something, Louis just wants to butter his friend up so they can spend some cash on a trip to Morocco._   
_Unlike the first encounter, the smirking stranger saw Louis but did not speak up immediately. He was preoccupied by the guests and a group of his hooligan friends who were on a mission to make him deaf._

_He didn't scare Louis when he shouted across the distance to him, asking why the boy was not celebrating with them. Louis said that he wasn't invited and wouldn't go if he was. This caught the new acquaintance's attention and they spoke for several minutes on Louis' introvertial ways. It was enchanting to watch someone otherwise sheltered come out of their shell._

_Louis had to run when steam started to escape from his window and he realised he left something on the stove. His newest friend watched him run off feeling a pool of sad and appeased mixed emotions._

_When Louis came outside in the slight hope that he'd see the man whose name he didn't know but whose eyes seemed to sparkle with sad things waiting to be taken care of, he was instead met with his own neighbour. She was a lovely girl and they'd become something akin to friends over many years. Louis spoke to her and learnt that her groom's name was Harry Styles. After their brief reunion, Louis wished her all the best and went back to his bird feeder._

_Louis was chewing bubblegum the next time he went outside to pick up the smaller clothing items. He was met with the same voice from earlier, a smile evident in the tone and their conversation flowed like old time friends. Maybe Louis flirted, but it relaxed his tiny ego to hear him flirting back._

_"You're beautiful, you know. Bluest eyes this side of the ocean."_

_Louis freezes. He hates compliments. They always stump him and he looks like an idiot. Compliments suck. "Um.....Th-Thanks."_

_He's never ran away as fast as he did right then, standing with his back to a wall hidden from sight from the infuriatingly attractive stranger with kindness. He heard a soft calling but it stopped shortly and Louis hated himself so much for being this awful._

_He was proud enough to stay indoors after that, eating hot food and drinking to burn his tongue. The rain started and he dropped all his candy to bolt outside and get the clothes off the line in time._

_Being the unlucky chap he always was, the stranger seemed to be standing exactly where Louis last saw him and now watched puzzled with his fingers hooked in the fence while Louis rushed around. He spoke sometimes but Louis was withdrawn in some way, and after two minutes that became horrific. After checking behind him for anyone who could be watching, he jumped the fence and scared Louis into screaming._

_"Hush, lovely." The man stepped too close to Louis and touched his cheek, not trusting his painful history to gift him someone so real and perfect._

_"I'm scared." Louis chewed his lip, feeling all his clothes getting soaked and eventually his bones that felt oddly warm with this stranger cupping his cheek._

_He heard the stranger's chuckle and how it lit up those dead eyes of his, Louis felt proud of himself. The clothes were taken from his shoulder and draped over a metal rail. Rain fell calmly around them and made their vision blurry but Louis still gasped when he saw this individual leaning forward to kiss him._

_"Don't be afraid. I'd never hurt you."_

_A voice interrupted them and when he still tried to get his kiss of the freedom he knew Louis had for him, Louis pushed him away with a giggle. But this voice was calling Harry and Louis started to frown because Harry was the groom._

_Louis pushed Harry away when the latter tried to explain, opening with mouth but nothing coming out. He was furious and he got a slap across Harry's face before stepping back. Harry still caught his wrist and held him in place even with the entire party watching from behind his back._

_"You can't know what it's like to be miserable, and for that reason you can't know what I felt when I looked at you."_

_Louis was not a cheater, and this man was getting married. Today. How bad a person would he be? No matter how hard a decision it was or how terrible he felt for leaving the sad look in Harry's eye to fester and build, he had to say no._

_"I-I'm not brave enough."_

_Louis knew that much about himself. He was scared of being hated and Harry looked miserable but he still couldn't bring himself to save him. He was a coward and he hated himself. It took him the matter of time between picking clothes up from the line to really fall for someone and now he's saying no. His morals had a standing but he just couldn't find them._

_He told Harry that he was getting married to a wonderful person, but Harry shook his head and argued that he never wanted to marry her. He still doesn't. He was willing to go through with it for his ailing mother but then Louis walked outside with a jug of water and he realised that he could spend his time loving someone kind and funny, rather than being empty with a partner._

_Louis asked why he lied, why he didn't come clean. Harry stared at him with unblinking emerald eyes, water dripping down both their faces. He told Louis that he'd never get to touch Louis like this if he had. It wasn't a last fling or escapade. He was going to be absolutely crazy and call off his wedding on the very same day, if Louis gave him a chance._

_Taking a look at everyone then up into Harry's piercing eyes, he swallowed the stubborn lump in his throat._

_"If I am really what you want, for however brief a period-" Harry had cut him off with a kiss. He wanted Louis always. Louis and his loud voice but quiet ways, his strange humour and soft giggles._

_"Find me at my coffee shop tomorrow." Louis said, studying Harry's expression as it softened into a smile. He had told Harry all about his favourite coffee shop. "I'll be-"_

_"At the booth by the third window, I know."_

_Harry's mother was dying but she got to see Louis before she went. He made her son very happy and her son made him happy, which is all she wanted. Harry never proposed to Louis until after two years of being in a relationship, living together and putting up with each other's odd ways. They had no pets because Louis had allergies but Harry took him to the park every Sunday for the largest scoops of ice cream._

_"Nobody falls in love over picking up the laundry, Harold."_

_"I did."_

**_[A/N: Personally one of my favourite stories :') vote? (Please vote) - S xx]_ **

Close to two decades ago a pure white lone wolf Omega was cornered by a stray soldier of an army that fought the battle against governance. 

She was the ideal picture of raw, untainted beauty and her eyes were like the purest of sapphires. No Alpha could resist and no Beta felt hateful of their status. He was a danger to society and had no companions but her. 

Her innocence was intact despite her persuasive looks and that day twenty years ago, it changed. He kept her in his cave until he was sure she was going to carry his pup. Maybe he was harsh but he loved her dearly even the day she ran away. 

Nine months after her escape a beautiful baby boy was born, with the same white wolf alone as always in the forest. She kept him clean and safe and made certain to leave him at the doorstep of a school that would continue to do what she did. 

The white wolf died from untreated injuries after giving birth, alone and howling for her son. The stray soldier who she had the heart of did not find her so he started searching for his pup. He knew this young one could be his reminder of her, and he would love it as much as he loved her. He would tear down anything that stood in his way. 

All those years passed by in a blink and he slowly became the last standing one of his kind. The generations advanced, as he created a pack to follow him. He hoped this would be enough to bring his child home.

When he found out through the grapevine that he had a son, an Omega who was just as astonishing as his mother, he was ecstatic and sent out a search party. When he learnt that said son of his was mated to the most powerful _Alfa_ in their hemisphere, he grew angry. He didn't want his son mated and taken away from him. 

He tore apart the school where he was last seen, killed everyone who had no information to barter for their lives. Having found out the location of the Styles pack, he made his way there with no delay. He would have his kin if it killed him.

  
* * * * *  


**"My son, _Alfa_.**

Harry's mind was in a thousand different ways being broken down to a husk. He fought the embers igniting in his chest that would turn into an ugly situation and turned to Louis, the cold nip of air for the first time affecting the flushed colour of his cheeks. 

"Is he lying?" Is all Harry asks, tone cold and detached. 

He is _Alfa_ and he was given that responsibility before anything else. He would treasure that pedestal until he shut his eyes for the final time.

"I-I...-" Louis looked over the wall's edge at the creature with a heaving chest and a similar facial structure to his own. "I don't know."

"How do we know what you're saying is the truth?" Harry's voice ringing with Alpha timber boomed over the snowy caps and hills. 

"I have not seen my own son since he was born, _Alfa_. Can you imagine that horror?" The creature responded, eyes glued to Louis. "That pain?"

Louis' heart ached, weighing heavy in his chest. He held onto Marcel and let a tear slip down his face. He took deep breaths and ignored the nagging in his abdomen. 

Harry grew impatient and growled. "Kill him."

"No!" Louis shouted impulsively, pushing off Marcel to grab Harry's arm. "No, Harry, please!"

This stranger was not lying, Louis _knew_ that. He was scared of that above all else. His body shivered at the way their scents were similar and their differences were feminine, descending from his mother. 

Harry put his hand on Louis' cheek and held the distraught Omega close. "You're ours now, Lou. It doesn't matter."

"Don't be a monster, Haz." Louis shook his head, circling Harry's wrist. "Let me see him."

"No."

"You can't do that, Harry." Louis wrestled with Harry's hold. "He's my father!"

"I thought you didn't know?" The way Harry's head tilted to the side made Louis want to slap him. 

So he did. 

It was a loud crack that had everybody standing stock still with rising tides of fear. Even Marcel stopped breathing, Edward long past frozen. Harry's Beta stared with wide eyes, fingers clenched. The bated breath stopped when Harry's growl erupted from his chest. 

He was not going to hurt his Omega. Not in fear of death would he lay a hand on Louis. Unfortunately, the stranger wolf didn't know that and just saw Louis step back in worry and fear. He charged forward, methodically melting into his wolf form and leaping into the air with the boost of a short hill. He shoved Harry back when he reached the top of the wall and stood in front of Louis protectively. 

All guns and arrows were pointed at the intruder. Marcel and Edward had changed too in defence of their brother. Everyone was shocked that this beast got to the top of their impenetrable wall. Claws and glistening teeth were on display, growls erupting from both parties. 

"Stop!" Louis stepped between them again, arms outstretched at either side and feeling a little dizzy from the whirling of life inside him. "No more fighting. Nobody is going to die today."

His eyes were ice blue and stern. He was sick and tired of all the death and fighting. This world was going to Hell and they didn't need more bloodshed for no reason. 

The soldier wolf was staring at Louis, his son that he has never seen up close. He whined and caught everyone's attention, including Louis'. When the Omega reached for him, an arm was around his middle and carried him away. He started to protest again and the wolf stepped forward with wide eyes but Edward kept Louis against him and chains came over the lone wolf. 

"No! Don't hurt him _please_!" Louis' nails scratched Edward's forearm but it was futile. 

He screamed when his father fell under the sharp teeth of the chains, the weight too great and daggers digging too deep. 

"We don't welcome intruders." Someone told him but he didn't listen. He screeched and finally got Edward's arm off him with a great effort. 

"Let go of me!" He cried, shoving the Alpha's chest. " _Harry_!"

"Lou." Harry approached him in his human form, blocking off the sight of Louis' father being brought down to the ground cruelly after every effort he made to get up. 

"Please." Louis' wide eyes were wet while he listened to whines and muscles crunching. "Please don't do this."

"Baby." Harry cupped the side of Louis' cheek and kissed his temple. "I love you."

"You don't." Louis spat. 

Harry looked hurt. Hearing that from his mate would hurt. "Lou, I-"

"Let him go. Please, I beg of you."

There was a broken look in the _Alfa_ 's eye that slivered through their bond like lava on ice. It stung and Louis hated it but this could not happen. 

"Okay." 

The chains let up instantly and Louis was free to rush to his limping father's side. It's been nineteen years and he knelt by the giant wolf's head in tears, brushing the bloody fur and watching his papery skin heal. He saw so much of himself in this stranger that it made his cry. 

"You're not lying about being my father." Louis whispered down at the wolf. "I'm sorry this happened. Harry's a good Alpha, I swear. He's very protective."

The wolf blurred into a man and his wounds healed faster. He kept his head on Louis' lap. "I would have been disappointed if I came here and he did not put up a fight."

Louis smiled through the watery vision he had. He takes in this man's features and mannerisms. He has black eyes as a person too, and pale skin like Louis'. Their lips were the same and their scents matched as it does between parent and pup. 

"I wish I knew more about you." Louis pushed some hair away from the man's eye. "Like your name."

"Xavier." 

"I'm Louis." 

It was heartbreaking, earth shattering and moving to see family introducing themselves to each other. It was unnatural and Harry felt that tug on his heart from his own pups. 

"Louis. I'm your father." Xavier said in an accent that matched Louis'. 

The Omega managed a short laugh. "Hi Pops. It's um.....it's nice to-"

His horrid emotions got in the way and Xavier took the opportunity to give his son the first hug he ever would. Louis hugged back thankfully and cried on his father's shoulder. 

"I came to take you home."

That one sentence had all three of Louis' Alphas growling as a threat. Edward even dared to step forward but Marcel held him back. Nothing was taking their Omega away. 

"I won't." Xavier wiped Louis' wet cheeks with his curled finger. "You're happy here, Louis?"

Louis nodded. He built his life here and he couldn't give that up. "I am."

"Then you'll stay here."

Edward relaxed and Louis smiled through the fog of his tears. Lucky for him, through that fog he got to see something pass through Xavier's eyes and he composed himself quickly. 

"I will leave in the morning but I'd like a place to stay tonight." Xavier asked. 

Harry spoke first. "You are-"

"We've got no space, Pops." Louis interrupted. "Our pack house was burnt down and we're still rebuilding it but you can remain outside our gates under our protection."

That same thing from earlier, like a quick mist, passed over Xavier's eyes. "I'll take what I can get, Lou."

Louis' change in mood puzzled everyone but he was their _Krasa_ and only the _Alfa_ could question his motives. The Omega stood and retreated to Marcel's side quickly, whispering something in his ear that had the Alpha nodding. Xavier observed it but he had no right to question it. 

"You'll come see me tomorrow, Lou?" He asked instead. 

The Omega stayed where he was but smiled and nodded. "Of course, Pops."

It was heartwarming to have endearments exchanged between them and Harry was now burning up with curiosity. He waited, however, for Xavier to be gone before sealing all their gates and putting up the wire fences at the top. Live electricity flowed through those wires. 

"What happened there, Lou?" He asked, unable to help himself, as soon as he turned around. 

Louis extended his arms and got Harry to lift him up off the cold floor. He wrapped his legs around the Alpha and felt warmth seep into his bones. His Omega's lips brush his ear but Louis' eyes are trained on the retreating figure in the snow.   
Everyone was awaiting an answer. One second, Louis was battling to get away from his mates to aid his father. The next second, the Omega was figuring something sinister out and going back to his mates. 

"He lied about something." Louis had instincts. Instincts that applied maternally to his pups, lovingly for his mates and otherwise for the world. The red flags set up for any outsiders were flying high now. 

"What do you mean?" Edward stepped forward again, a hand on Louis' back. 

"You fought us for him, pumpkin. What are you saying now?" Marcel was highly confused by all these changes in moods. 

"He is my father-" Louis says in all honestly. "-but he's different."

"Different?"

"See that?" Louis jerked his chin in the direction of the woods. A faint light glowed in the distance. "He's doing something."

"How could you-"

"He told me without telling me." 

That was the strangest thing Louis had ever said, and his Alphas knew it. The Omega tried to get his feet on the ground but couldn't because Harry's jacket engulfed him and he was preoccupied trying to figure out the flickering he saw in the woods. The blackness of his father's eyes allowed a perfect reflection of the yellow light, and for the same reason he couldn't tell whether his father was looking at him or the light when it came to life. 

Something was happening and his father was using him to get it done.

"I'm fucking confused." Edward mutters, pacing back and forth at the foot of their bed where Louis sat calmly. 

"I don't know what he's going to do and we'll never know until it happens but being prepared would do us some good." The Omega tells them with hand motions. 

Harry stood leaning against their closed closet door. "You were so ready to leave us for him, my sweet. Forgive me for doubting this theory."

Louis should have seen that coming as well. He blew out a long breath and let the regret become him. He had no idea his father was going to be up to something fishy and he'd never betray this life of his for the other. 

"Do you really think Louis is plotting against us? Honestly, brother." Marcel shook his head disapprovingly.

Louis understood that some faith in him has been lost, and he won't waste his words defending himself when he can put into action proving how loyal he is.

Harry's eyes met Louis' and the Omega gave him a small smile, tiny even. The Alpha turned away towards the window. 

He was most offended by Louis' behaviour earlier. Besides the weakness it showed in their bond, Louis had disrespected his status by using what little hold he had on him to get free. 

"We should have just killed him." Edward held the dresser with a tense hand. 

"We still can." Harry cleared his throat. 

"Don't." Louis interrupted again. "That's their territory out there, so to speak, and they're going to know it like how you know your land."

"Well then we probably should have gutted him when we had the chance, eh darling?" 

Louis frowned. "He's my father and he's old. For all we know he could be just in need of an alliance."

"We don't give alliances."

"Tell him that yourself."

Harry didn't growl, instead he smirked. "There's something about you I fell in love with and after thinking it gone, I've found it again."

"What's that?" 

"Loyalty."

  
* * * * *  


Louis never thought sneaking out would be this hard. 

He made it out of the cottage only to be stopped by Betas who were concerned about their Krasa in his pregnant condition. Niall was with him and faithfully followed him out to the broken thirteenth gate. The guards weren't easily distracted but it was done, and eventually Louis slipped through the steel shield. 

The walk from their gates to the small camp set up in the snowy distance was made easy by Storm. Both Omegas sat on his back and he valiantly got them through the snow without a struggle. 

"What was that?" Niall jumped at the sound of twigs cracking. 

Louis bit his lip. "Nothing will hurt us. Calm down."

They got to the tent next to a blazing fire and Louis hopped down from Storm's back with Niall's help. He had no time at all before his Alphas realised he was not just going to make warm milk. 

"You're not supposed to be out here." Xavier sat by the fire, prodding it with a strong branch. "It's cold and you're pregnant."

"I want to know why you lied." Louis stood with his white cloak keeping him warm. 

"Lie, Louis?"

"You said you meant them no harm."

"And I intend to not harm them."

That came as a relief. "Then what-"

"The yellow light? That would be my pack." He lifted his arm and waved at the line of trees. A yellow light flickered back at him. "I really was going to take you back with me but you're happy here."

Louis sits by his father's side on a steady log, Niall beside him and all in front of a glorious fire. "Why come looking for me after all this time?"

"It's a big world, son. Your mother was known to travel to the furthest corners of the kingdoms to explore."

"My mother." Louis felt something swell in his throat. "They said you raped her."

"I did not." 

"Then-"

"She was accustomed to being on her own." Xavier looked at the snow whirling around them as if it was her image dancing. "I loved your mother but she was afraid of...of _something_. It took her away from me, and you."

Louis' past brought his sadness with the prickle of fire. He hugged his knees and rubbed his baby bump, silently assuring his pups that he'll never leave them.

"They let you come out here?" Xavier spoke with a crack in his voice. 

"N-No." Louis laughed. "I snuck out to see you."

"You get that untamed sense of curiosity from her too." 

Louis' cheeks got a little pink from the warmth and memory of a woman he never met. "I have to get back."

"I won't be here in the morning." Xavier says as he helps Louis stand. "This is goodbye."

Unable to hold back, Louis throws his arms around Xavier's neck and hugs him one final time. "You don't have to leave again."

"Yes I must." He wipes Louis' cold tears again and kisses his forehead. "You're the most precious thing to me and I know you're safe here."

"But-"

"If you need me, use this." The much older wolf gives Louis his own necklace from around his neck. The pendant was a small hollow tube. "It will make no sound but I'll hear it."

When Louis crept back into the bedroom he escaped from, he crawled onto Harry's chest and got held extra tight around his middle. Three Alphas pretended to be asleep to give him peace of mind, but Harry drew circles on his back until the Omega fell asleep. 

"Are you mad at me?" Louis asked softly when the lark started to sing and he knew Harry was watching him. 

"Very." The Alpha squeezed his shoulders and gave him a long kiss. "I know what you did too."

Louis' eyes got wide enough to expose all of the blue crystal in his eyes, before he hid in Harry's chest. 

"Oh, my sweet." Harry tilted Louis' chin upward and stared down into perfect worried orbs. "You think we don't know?"

The Omega blushed and felt immediately saddened by the reminder that his father had come and gone faster than he deserved. "You followed me?"

"Yes." Harry fingered the new necklace Louis wore. "You put our pups in danger and I am indeed angry about that. As punishment, you will not leave this room until the pups are ready to be born."

Louis nodded solemnly. "Yes, Alpha."

Harry's arms got in the way of Edward's which were perfectly fine resting around Louis' middle. The latter growled and Louis sighed. 

"I always believed you, Lou." Edward nuzzled Louis' neck roughly, making the Omega giggle and kiss his jaw sweetly. 

Louis caught Harry's eye and gave the unhappy Alpha a chaste kiss that made the corner of his mouth twitch. "I'm sorry about your gate."

"It's hardly a gate that matters to me a fraction as much as you matter to me." Harry pulls Louis closer to Louis, unable to stay angry at the beautiful Omega with a heavy heart and pure personality. "I'd have raised Hell if something happened to you."

"But you're angry with me."

"Doesn't mean I love you any less."

"Oh." 

"Baby." Harry secures Louis' face in both his hands. "You thought I was mad and that meant I didn't love you?"

Louis shrugged. He didn't know what to think but Harry gets angry at Edward and proclaims that he hates his brother. It's confusing. 

"Oh my sweet, _never_." Harry cradled the back of Louis' head and pulled him closer to his chest. "I love you no matter what happens."

"But you're still angry with me?" Louis scented Harry's chest and pawed lightly at his mate's torso. 

Harry sighed and watched Edward raise his eyebrow at him. "No, love. I'm not angry as long as you promise to never be reckless again."

"Promise." Louis kissed Harry's pectoral. "I love you."

"I love you, sweet."

They spend an hour more in bed doing nothing but remaining as physically close as possible. Each Alpha was careful not to squash or put any pressure on the bump that housed their pups, while Louis carefully stayed in comfortable positions. 

"Everything goes back to normal now." Marcel has to voice it for everyone, as each individual in the room is thinking it. 

"Hardly." Harry thinks it over, his cheek indented with a charming dimple. "We have maintenance to take care of and the last outside delivery is coming in-"

Louis' lips on Harry's rushing ones never cease to amaze and silence the Alpha. The daintier mate's smaller paw got wrapped up in Harry's oversized hand, fingers interlocked seamlessly and their lips meshing perfectly. Harry responds with the enthusiasm that he always reacts with, and it's precious watching him try to be gentle against his nature. 

"Everything goes back to normal." Louis says slower and softer, his lips pressed delicately against Harry's and their eyes meeting in the middle. 

Harry's surprised exposure composes itself and he offers Louis a short smirk, darkening the glint in his black eye and squeezing Louis' hip until the Omega squealed. 

"I'd say-" Marcel crept his way up to Louis' level between the Omega's thighs. "-the most exciting thing is yet to come."

"I'm deeply troubled if you're not referring to the birth of our spawn." Edward contributes with a steady frown directed at his sibling. 

"Spawn." Louis sounds out the word. "Don't call our pups 'spawn', Edward."

"It's what they are." Harry shrugs against Louis' chest. "Spawn. Cub. Chip off the old block. Off-"

"Don't you dare."

"Offspring." Edward chirps before he's hit in the chest with a plush feather pillow. 

"Our pups are not Neanderthals." Marcel defends passionately. 

"We should give them names." Louis proposes sweetly, drawing odd shapes of matter on his protruding tummy. "So their Neanderthal daddies stop calling them _spawn._ "

Harry has a frown that's confused between being angry and amused. "Bellamy is a name that's never existed in this pack. I think it would suit a baby girl."

Louis _loves_ the name Bellamy. It's old without being awful and sounded perfect for a daughter. "I love that name, Hazza."

The Alpha becomes proud of himself and gives his mate a kiss on the neck over their bond mark. 

Marcel is still chewing his lip in thought. Bellamy is a tough name offering to go after. "I always liked Theodore and Everett."

"I really like Theodore." Louis' brilliant blue eyes get a lot brighter. "We can call him Theo!"

He got resounding chuckles from all three big Alphas and pouted like he was offended. It was still thin ice that he treaded on, and the air between all of them was still lightly tense with awkwardness. He hated it but it was his own fault and he'll just have to put up with it until he's proven he's loyalty again. 

"My turn." Edward announces, face smashed into his pillow and arm slung over Louis' hips. "Christian."

"As in-" 

" _No._ " Edward cuts Marcel inquiry off. "No. Just baby Christian."

"I like it." Louis has to kiss the small peek of Edward's lips he can see and the Alpha's chest tightens with an indecipherable sound. 

"So Christian, Bellamy and Theo. They sound like the musketeers." Marcel's lips leave a bracelet of kisses over Louis' bare bump. He's a passively possessive father. 

"We're going to have to add one more name to that lot. Not to mention, their genders aren't confirmed." Edward adds. "If they're all girls we should be ashamed."

"They won't be all girls." Harry kisses behind Louis' ear, a wicked smirk curling his lip. "I'm as sure as Hell fire I put a boy in Lou."

Louis would have, a year ago, stuttered and walked away. Now he physically can't walk away but still blushes. Of _course_ Harry's going to say something like that. Alphas took pride in having sons, and daughters gave them a whole new outlook on everything.

  
* * * * *  


"Where's Niall?" Marcel asked as he came upstairs with a breakfast tray that brightened Louis' day. 

Louis didn't hesitate. Food is his weakness when carrying an active litter of pups. "At Liam's. Where are your brothers?"

"Harry's dealing with patrolling the borderline and Edward's helping repair the thirteenth gate."

Louis picks up a spoon to start his oatmeal with honey but just ends up twirling it in the air over the lip of the bowl. His racing mind granted him no mercy, and dipped his appetite.

"What's wrong?" Marcel sits up straight against the headboard so that Louis is against him without being hunched. 

Truth was that Louis' contemplating all that he's done wrong in this pack. Besides his father making a blatantly unexpected return, he first disrupted one of the pack travels because of the burning pack house and caused more fights between the Styles brothers than normal. 

"Nothing." Louis hoped the weariness in his voice didn't show. 

"Tell me, pumpkin. You're already carrying our pups and can't afford to stress over anything."

A tear slipped down Louis' cheek. "I wish I could run away."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Twitter: @SSTomlinson
> 
> That's if anyone wants to say Hi :)


	19. XIX

**_[A/N: Nobody hate on LouBear please. Um.....I forgot to mention to the AO3 readers that this won't be the last time you see Louis' dad so your worry is not necessary. He shall be back. As I said in my other fic, Animal, this will be my last update for a few weeks. Exam season is around so you know what that means. The short stories at the start of every chapter will show up rarely (this chapter doesn't have one) because it's taking away lots of focus from the central story and that wasn't my intention. Thank you all for your crazy support and I recently discovered that one my personal favourite fic writers is reading this like o.O W-O-A-H I'm flattered. Thank you so much and enjoy! - S xx]_ **

**"I wish I could run away."**

Marcel's eyes bulge and he hauls a squirming Louis onto his lap against the Omega's whining. The longing pain pulsates through their bond and the Alpha has to cage Louis' waist between his arms. He can never let Louis go. 

"Listen. Louis, _listen_." Marcel says the last bit with his Alpha timbre so Louis _has_ to look up at him obediently. 

With a firm hand on Louis' expanded tummy, Marcel breathes deeply before speaking again. "I know what you think and you know also that you're wrong."

"But-"

Marcel growls. It's soft and not meant as a threat, but enough testosterone behind it let's Louis know that his Alpha is still talking. 

"Nothing that happened between my brothers is your fault." Marcel tells him sternly, stormy green melting ocean blue. "That's their relationship and it works for them."

It's not a healthy relationship at all but neither sibling gave a fuck. In their opinion, when push came to shove they protected each other and that's all that mattered in a world that was slowly crumbling. 

"Harry does not _hate_ you." Marcel assures his sniffling mate. "Nor do I, or Edward. We _love_ you, Lou. More than you can comprehend or anyone can document."

Louis marvels at the words his mate is spilling so freely, so sincerely that it can't be lies. He hugs Marcel with both arms around his neck, tightening his muscles and pressing as much of their bodies together. 

"I love you. I'm sorry I said that. I'm silly." Louis gushes, twice as honestly. "I love you and your moody brothers so much." 

"We know, pumpkin." Comes a sweet response, and hand brushing Louis' sides. "We'd never let you go anyway."

Giggling like a new Omega to a brute Alpha nest, Louis turns his head on Marcel's shoulder to nuzzle the Alpha's neck. He inhales his mate's strong scent and let's it blanket his nerves so they calm down. His thin, spidery fingers rub over Marcel's bare bicep.

"How's your back, pumpkin spice?" Marcel's apt fingers are pressing rhythmic circles into the base of Louis' spine, slowly easing the pressure that has built there. 

"Awful." Louis is pouting over his Alpha's shoulder. "How's yours?"

That little amount of wit that has returned to his Omega makes Marcel chuckle and smother Louis' neck with wet kisses. "Just fine. Want to swap?"

"Yes please."

  
* * * * *  


In the weeks to come Marcel keeps Louis' secret doubts to himself, and becomes the Omega's confidante. It's both a blessing and curse but he'd much rather be up at ungodly hours sipping hot chocolate with his worried mate than sleeping completely oblivious. 

One day though Marcel has to take the patrol out and Harry is at home with Louis, Edward dealing with business at the pack house with unmated pack members. There were too many of them and that displayed weakness, something the _Alfa_ house will not stand for. 

"Lou?" Harry heard whimpering and woke up in immediate alarm. 

Louis was curled up on a far side of the bed, which is _not_ where he started out under Harry's arm. The Alpha frowns and fits himself behind his mate, pressing kisses to the warm flushed skin of Louis' shoulder and arm. 

"What's wrong, baby?" 

"I-I...I want Marcel." Louis wipes his nose with a tissue and coughs around the pressure in his pelvic region. 

It _hurt_ like a thousand air bubbles popping at the same time but retaining the pressure. He felt blood drain from that region and make him whine from discomfort. 

"I'm here, my sweet." Harry offers his complete help. "Anything you want, it's yours."

"It _hurts_ please.....make it stop." Louis rolls onto his back and looks broken heartedly at Harry. 

"Does Marcel usually help you, baby?" Harry rubs the region below Louis' six week pregnant bump and above the cushion between his legs. 

Louis nods. 

Harry's at a loss but he tries not to let that show. This concerns his very lively puppies and he'll do anything in the world for them. 

"Does this help?" He tries, gesturing to the rubbing of Louis' lower tummy. 

It could have been because the Omega was softening in his pained little noises and is peering up at Harry with loving eyes. "Yeah. Are you going to stop?"

"No, sweetheart." Harry kisses Louis' wet cheek, nuzzling his neck. "Never."

He gets the option of staying up with Louis to watch an old movie about vampires and share a giant flask of hot chocolate. His hands stay on Louis' front where they lessen the pain and the Omega gives him lots of sugary kisses as thanks. 

"What on Earth? It's one in the morning." Edward walks in, scandalised to find his mate and brother watching television when the former is supposed to be asleep. 

"Come watch with us." Louis proposes with his distracted vision laser focused on the TV's LED screen.

Edward is physically and mentally exhausted so he declines politely after kissing Louis' suspiciously chocolatey lips. He doesn't question Harry either on it and retires to the bathroom. 

"I have a long day tomorrow." Harry says into Louis' neck quietly. 

"Oh?" Louis doesn't like this part of the movie so he doesn't pay attention to it. 

"We're running low on fuel and our electricity silo is having problems."

Louis frowns worriedly. "What do you have to do?"

"The industrial zone is days away so we might have to dig into some of our reserves to last until we can make the trip."

This is a big matter and Louis feels troubled enough to switch the TV off and turn around in Harry's lap. 

It amuses the Alpha anyway to see Louis try to save electricity so he chuckles and kisses the Omega's bond mark. "We have enough, sweet."

"Still." Louis chews his lip. "How long will your reserves last you?"

"We have maybe two hundred reserves, if we use one it will last three days at most. The trip to and from the industrial zone will take at least twice that time."

"And who would go?"

"We've only had this problem once before, when I wasn't _Alfa_. My Beta and a few others with enough strength to bring everything back."

Louis nods, listening attentively to Harry's description of this process. "What about safety?"

Harry let's out a long sigh. "It can't be helped."

"What if you went with them? Nobody's going to mess with a Styles."

"Contrary to popular belief, we Styles are despised in most corners of this world. Our family hasn't spoken to us in centuries."

Louis' never known his family save for recent developments but _centuries_ seems a bit drastic. "Why are they so mean?"

"Not mean." Harry's mouth twitches but fails to smile, bemused. "Our forefathers drove away many of our relatives to protect the bloodline. They only wanted to associate with pure breeds, and in turn the only pure lineage abandoned us."

Louis gave Harry a sympathetic look and tapped the strong bone of his clavicle with his finger. "Where are they now?"

"Across the ocean." Harry's eyes gravitate towards Louis' bump. "Marcel can tell you more."

The Omega was forced to let Harry give their bond mark lots of loving kisses while he processed this new lot of information. So the triplets had family, and it sounded like a large one. Since they themselves weren't against non-pure bloodlines - Louis being standing proof - it means that contact can be made if necessary. 

With anarchy running rife throughout the world, packs of stability had to establish back-up plans. This pack included. 

"Did you try.....contacting your family at all?" Louis asks, hesitant in his words because he doesn't want to spoil the mood.

"Marcel did." Harry replies. "They wrote back years ago telling us we were welcome if we ever needed them."

"That's very kind of them."

"Rumour has it their half of the world is settling down." Harry lays Louis on his side with a pillow between his legs, sharing a pillow with the Omega as they whispered. 

"Settling down how?" Louis looked so intrigued by this. It's been so long since the last signs of peace. 

"There's no government structure of course, but all the packs residing in that country have signed a treaty."

"That's actually brilliant. When was it signed?"

"Two years ago. Our cousin wrote to us about it."

"What pack houses are in that country?"

"I don't know but it's too late to prepare a treaty for our lands."

"Because they'd never agree to it?" Louis suspected so. Warriors lived on the borderline and beyond, such creatures were born to shed blood. 

"Yes." 

This is very troubling and disturbing news. The possibility that their pack could be obliterated by rogues and outlaws is terrifying, but Harry rushes to reassure his mate. 

"You know that I'll never let anything hurt you, nor will my brothers." Harry promises with earnest dark eyes. "I will sail across the seas with our entire pack if it means you and our babies being safe."

Louis gave him a small smile, tinged with a little joy, and snuggled closer to Harry's broad chest. It was warm and tough, a presence Louis always took solace in. 

"I love you." Louis kisses Harry's pectoral. 

"Love is a far lesser statement than what I truthfully feel for you, my sweet."

  
* * * * *  


"We are not striking at midnight." Xavier barked thunderously. His voice shook trees and dropped tufts of snow. "They're on alert at night."

"Not to mention their gates are more guarded now." One of the commanding Alphas spoke up, rough and harsh. "We're only getting in if they want us to get in."

"Their walls are strong." A female Alpha muttered. "To penetrate it we'll need to find its weak spot."

"The broken gate?" Xavier offered, sitting by the fire. 

"It was fixed the day you left." Their spy informed them. "They plan to make a trip to the industrial zone to replenish their supplies."

"Will the _Alfa_ go?" The female asked. 

"His mate is pregnant so that is highly unlikely."

"I still say we negotiate." The rough-and-tough Alpha said sharply. "We need their walls for the battle that's coming and their manpower will be a great help."

"We don't negotiate with werewolves." The lady in red said with a small smile. "Don't you want your son, Xavier?"

The Alpha huffed and nodded. 

She stood up from her chair with a creak, her cloak dragging on the ground and her boots crunching soil. "We have greater numbers but one of theirs can take ten of ours. Training will take too long and the element of surprise will be extinguished."

"What do you suggest then?"

"You can have the walls or you can have the men, the _Alfa_ is too stubborn to surrender both." She circled the large pit of fire as she thought. 

"We can't kill werewolves. Their family can squash us like flies."

"What do werewolves fear?"

"Nothing."

"Wrong, my Alpha. They fear loss more than they fear death. Give them that and you'll have them in the palm of your hand."

  
* * * * *  


Marcel just stepped into their cottage, ready to steal some dry bread from the kitchen and shower before a long night of sleep. The siren going off outside made him tense and prickle with tangible tension. The staircase rattled with the heavy descent of his two older brothers, all looking at him for an explanation he didn't possess. 

"Stay here with Louis." Harry was gone with Edward before any protest could be made, sans a coat or any warm clothing. He was bare from the waist up and didn't feel an ounce of the cold touching him. 

The siren went on until the two siblings got up to the tower where it rang, stiff with a guarded nature. The siren was used for one thing only and Harry has not been in preparation to partake in anything akin to the problem. 

" _Alfa_ , they're in the clearing." His Beta informed him as he took the stairs three at a time and stood over the ledge to look out at the night. 

"How long?" Edward asked in an all business manner. 

"Just now, Alpha." The Beta responded responsibly. 

Harry surveyed the scene and clenched his fists around the railing. His eyes turned to stone when he saw Xavier and growled lowly at everything else. A crown of black dots symbolises members of an outside society littered the clearing outside their walls, in abundance and all looking fierce. 

"We aren't prepared for a war, _Alfa_." His second-in-command reminds him timidly. They really weren't. 

"Get five horses ready and two other men. Go to Marcel and tell him he needs to send out a black dove." Harry righted his posture and stood like a king not ready to give up his kingdom. 

"You were right." Edward stood next to his brother, white puffs of air leaving their mouths as they spoke. 

"I know." Harry contained his frustration. 

"A dove will take days to get across the sea."

Harry found pleasure in smirking at his sibling as something crackled in the background. "Not a black one."

Seconds later something magnificent and large flew over their heads with a loud screech. Edward dropped his jaw. "That's not a dove."

"Our little brother met a woman in the woods who bred loyal flying hybrids." Harry kept his eyes on every moving individual below them, fire burning his skin from beneath. "He bought three and kept them in a warehouse while they grew."

"How did we not know?"

"You didn't and I don't know why. That's not important now, brother."

"We're not going to war, are we?"

"I sure as fuck hope not."

  
* * * * *  


The horses were ready when the first signs of the sun began to peek through the tree tops. Snow was falling to the ground from branches and the wind howled louder than the brass vibration of the first gate opening so five horses could leave through it. 

"Close it." Harry ordered the Alpha handling the gate. "Open it only for us."

The gate closed with a slide and Harry only moved once it latched onto it's dip in the ground. 

"There's a whole lot more of 'em from down here." Edward remarked smartly, his third cigarette between his lips. 

"And there will be a whole fucking lot more up close."

There really was, for when they came to a stop some of their foe were torn between going at them or waiting for word from their own commanders. Some were in their wolf form, and the more inferior shapeshifters stayed in their human form. 

"Here he is." Edward spoke up from beside Harry when the crowd of shifters parted to let three horses through. 

One was a woman dressed in red, the second was a brutish Alpha and in the front was Xavier. Harry gritted his teeth at the sight. 

"It takes a lot for a coward to show himself." Harry says to the older Alpha male, not dismounting his horse like they did. 

"It does." Xavier smirks, not appearing half as humble as when he last saw Harry. 

"Why are you at my doorstep with an army?"

"For the same reason I breached your gate earlier." Xavier cracks his knuckles. "For my son."

"Louis belongs to our pack by courtship and blood now. Even if there is no legal stability, tradition will be respected." Edward's booming voice carried over the whipping of white air. 

"Impregnating him does not make you anymore your family than mine. His pups carry your blood but he carries my blood."

Harry held his hand up before Edward could speak again. "Louis is not the reason you are here, Xavier. You've become dramatic and boring, both of which I have no time for. Tell me what you want."

The red lady tells her part before Xavier can erupt. "You speak boldly for someone surrounded by threats."

"And you speak bravely for someone who knows very well what they're up against." Harry fired back, his steed's neck arching upward with a jerk. 

"War is coming to these lands." Xavier silences any further argument. It's about time they got to the point. "So is winter."

"Build shelter and defend it." Harry supplies coldly. "This territory is ours."

"Territory can be won over."

Harry glances at Edward. So that's what they wanted. "This land is part of our lineage. You will have to kill every Styles relation to claim it."

When he thinks he's gotten a seed of worry planted in Xavier's mind, the latter's polite smile grows into a lesser appealing one. "Stranger things have happened, _Alfa_."

  
* * * * *  


"What's going on?" Louis sits up the second Marcel returns to their bedroom. 

The Alpha had sent Liam and Niall to be with Louis while he went to tend to the details of Harry's message to him. Their mate was anxious and feeling very worried by the tendons of stress stretching his bond with the absent Styles triplets. 

"Your father's back." Marcel is walking back and forth at the foot of their bed, raking a firm hand through his hair and containing the bubbles of anger rising to the surface. "The bastard's out there with a fuckin' army."

Louis' heart dropped and he had to press down a little on his abdomen to keep the nausea building there by the lives within him waking up to his distress. 

_"What?"_ He manages lamely. 

"Harry and Edward are handling it." Marcel sits but can't take the stillness for more than three seconds and recommences pacing again. "I hope they tear him apart."

He meant to say the last part inside his head but it managed to slip out past his lips, and make his Omega gasp at the brutality of his wish. Louis' eyes widen but slowly shrink back to their regular size. He can't find it in him to be anything but disgraced.

  
* * * * *  


An arrow shot the ground at Harry's side, igniting a wild blue flame that lit up the hybrid creeping too close to him. He didn't flinch away from the creature when it hissed and screeched, didn't even glance at it. 

"I'm giving you one day to leave." Harry says coldly to the onlookers, eyes magnetising to Xavier's. "If you're still here there will an arrow for each of you."

"In that breath-" The woman in red took her hood down and revealed her pale beauty. "-we'd like to give you the same amount of time to reconsider."

Edward's arm brushes Harry's to warn him off saying anything. This wasn't going to last long if they got back behind their walls and planned something elaborate. Harry turns around first and galloped back to the gates, followed by Edward then the men who had to ensure their safety. They entered their territory in a snowy flourish and hooves clattered loudly on stone, smashed soil and knocked things aside. 

Harry got to the pack house first where everyone was awaiting his update, except he didn't give them any. He left his Beta to do that and stormed off to his office three levels up. 

"Brother?" Edward opened the door and stepped inside. 

"Get Louis." Is all Harry said, his voice like snapping an elastic as he leaned against his desk with clenched fists. "Bring him here."

"What for?" Edward had the right to ask, so he utilised that right. 

Harry's blackened gaze flickered up to his brother. "He should know of recent developments."

"You can't blame him for this, Harry."

"He should _fucking know_ who his father is and what he's willing to do for his own security, who he called me a _monster_ for."

"Lou never called you a monster." Edward defends honestly, uncrossing his arms and approaching the rickety desk his brother was so close to cracking. "If you make him feel guilty he's going to do something about it, and that means putting his and our puppies' lives in danger."

"He did it once already." Harry growls with adrenaline thrumming through his veins. "He's so _stubborn_."

"You sound so ungrateful right now." Edward steps in front of the fire so it's blocked from Harry's spiteful eyes. "Would you rather go back in time and give up Louis?"

A strangled noise leaves Harry's throat, pained and involuntary. 

"Thought so." Edward pushed his hair back. "Xavier would be at our doorstep whether Louis took his side or not."

"I know." Harry rubbed his face tiredly with his hands and made a frustrated noise. "What the fuck are we going to do?"

"Wait." Edward suggests with a shrug. "You've never sent a black dove out before. How little faith do you have in yourself?"

Harry stood while Edward sat in the chair that isn't intended for him. "We're surrounded, brother. Even I know when defeat is inevitable."

  
* * * * *  


Louis played with Hercules because the shapeshifter kept changing from a lynx pup to a mini dragon creature. He wasn't in it with all his attention and drank small sips of hot chocolate just to get some moments to himself. 

He's feeling awful about himself. The dull light in the distance is a constant reminder of how he let his Alphas down for a man who still doesn't fully care for him. He scratches his forearm with the irritation and rubs his tummy to soothe himself. 

Marcel was angry and flustered, walking from corner to corner after Liam took Niall away. The Alpha made no effort to talk to Louis for fear of saying something horrible. 

"They're back." Marcel said and promptly left the room like Louis wasn't about to say something.

  
* * * * *  


No knocking, just Marcel bursting through the door to Edward and Harry's communion. The latter twins look at their brother in confusion and Harry stands to his full height. 

"What the fuck are you doing here?" He asked in a deep, nightmare-triggering voice. 

Edward touched Harry's arm again. "Calm down, Harry."

"What happened?" Marcel slammed the door shut and demanded to know from them. 

"We gave them-"

"You're supposed to be with Louis." Harry interrupts Edward. "Why are you _here_?"

Marcel's eyes grow into saucers when he realised what he did. He swears under his breath and leaves the room in a mad rush to go back, Harry giving up and following suit. Edward goes as well when he's done cursing himself for forgetting his mate momentarily.

  
* * * * *  


Louis is fine when they get back. He's lying on his side under a bundle of covers with a tear-streaked pillow, refusing the turn around when the bedroom door creaks. He feels like a failure. He's become such a burden to his Alphas when he never intended to. 

Nobody speaks and the bedroom door is left open before the three Alphas go back downstairs, swathed in relief. 

"I can't believe you left him alone, Marcel." Edward glares at his youngest brother. 

Marcel regretted it too. He's a horrible Alpha. "What were we thinking?"

Harry stood leaning against the closed closet door, arms bulging as they crossed over his chest. He wasn't really listening to his brothers, and paid more attention to the uneven breathing of his mate upstairs. 

"We weren't ready for this." Marcel drowns half a can of Monster in one go. "We're too fucking immature."

Harry heard Louis' heart pick up and clog up. He could hear them. "What do you mean?"

"For mating?" Edward is confused. 

"Yes." Marcel rubbed his temples. 

There was a strange but strong hitch in Louis' breath. Harry felt a small pulse of something through their bond. 

"You speak for yourself." Harry finally said. "If you resent anything about this nest I suggest you find yourself another one."

Edward, for once, seemed to agree with his older brother. "He's right, Marcy. We're all worked up and taking it out on Louis, which isn't justified."

"Every nest has its difficulties." Harry tells his brother sternly, fingers twitching to uncover the reason behind the odd silence upstairs. 

"Ours just happens to have epic proportions." Edward adds in unhelpfully. 

"So don't be a coward and blame it all on Louis." Harry had done that, and each time he was forgiven by the Omega they were discussion scornfully now. "I'm going to check on him."

Harry's gone before Marcel can say his apology. His brother is not who he owes it too anyway. 

"Louis?" Harry closed the bedroom door and walked stealthily to Louis' bedside. 

He was studying the Omega with critical analysis now, and noticed how he was changing. Changing for their pups. The Alpha knelt down and touched Louis' cheek. It was cold and his small hands twitched on his pillow. 

"You're awake, my sweet." Harry clasps Louis' hands between his. "Open your eyes for me."

Louis did as told, but his gaze was downcast and his expression was crestfallen. He couldn't meet Harry's eye until the Alpha forced him to by turning his chin. 

"You heard everything, didn't you?" Harry brushed Louis' bottom lip with his thumb. 

Louis kept quiet and averted his gaze again, feigning a yawn with Hercules curled up on his hip. 

"Lou." Harry shuffled closer and cupped one side of Louis' face. "I know you're hurt but Marcel didn't mean it."

He's not used to defending people and the words taste bitter on his tongue. Louis looks at him and there's a small wave of love and gratitude that reaches him but the Omega still says nothing. 

No Omega should hear what Louis had to, that his mate possibly _resented_ their bond. It was a giant blow to any pride he had as an Omega, and when it happened it took an unhealthy toll on the weaker mate always. 

"Would you like me to stay here?" Harry offered more for himself than the Omega's comfort. 

Louis thought about it, his dull blue eyes reaching the window before he shook his head and rolled over slowly with strain in his back. He felt tired but mournful, upset and extremely hungry. Harry gave him a slow kiss on his cheek before leaving the room to go into the bathroom. He was going to join his Omega in bed even if he wasn't tired. 

Louis closed his eyes for a small amount of time but a feminine voice woke him up again shortly. "You are Louis. I see why your father is so desperate to have you back."

He startles and jolts awake, only to cry out when a roll of nausea hits him like a horse. "What-"

The woman comes to sit by him and Louis panics, looking around him and about to call for someone when she lifts the hand of her red cloak. "Shh, Louis. I'm a friend of Xavier and you know you can trust him."

Why wasn't Harry coming out? What was happening? How did this stranger get into their cottage?

"Magic, Louis." She answered his final mental question, lifting her hand with her palm up and revealing a small red flame. "It exists in all corners of the world."

His heart ran miles in his chest and his throat burned with fear of this woman. 

"What do you want?" He couldn't bring attention to the bump he was concealing behind the comforter but placed an arm around it protectively anyway. 

"I came to see what we were fighting for." She said simple, whispering like they were old friends with a small smile. 

She stunned him by giving him a kiss on the exact spot Harry had, withdrawing with a kind but massively manipulative smile. A blink and she was gone. 

Louis gasped for breath when he woke up, blinking rapidly to remove the fuzziness of his sight and thanking the highest level of Heaven for it being a dream. He was on his side and the press of Harry's lips was still on his cheek but there were arms around him and the room was too dark. 

He reached for where he knew the lamp was but knocked his wrist painfully onto the wooden stand. Hissing in pain, he closed his eyes in the hopes that he will regain enough night vision to look around. 

Three tries later, he had no such luck. 

Becoming scared of what he was feeling, the heaviness of his eyeballs and ragged breathing, he pulled himself up with a wince and tried waking Harry up. He knew by the Alpha's scent who it was. 

"Harry!" He felt for his mate's chest and how the inside of his head was starting to burn. "Harry, please wake up."

There was the rush of footsteps that made Louis whimper in fear until a hand he recognised touched his cheek and redirected his focus. He could smell Edward but Marcel was there too and the room was still so dark! 

"Put the lights on please." Louis begged, afraid of the darkness that wasn't leaving him. 

There was a frozen moment between him and his Alpha before Edward spoke. "The lights are on, little dove. It's ten in the morning."

It felt like the room had contents, the same innards that it always had but this time it was in a permanent shadow's casting. Louis stuttered and his bottom lip quivered, desperate as he blinked away the black filter. It went nowhere and eventually began to drink up his sight. 

"I can't see." He whispered brokenly, clutching Edward's arms around him to keep them there. 

"What's happening?" It was Harry. 

A hand brushed Louis' side and someone scented his neck with a whine. Marcel. Louis felt the prick of tears in his eyes that were no longer working. Everything was black, black and empty. 

"I can't see!" Louis proclaimed more urgently, his eyes were open but staring at nothing in particular. "Why can't I see?"

"I don't know, pumpkin." Marcel's dejected voice wrapped Louis up safe and sound. "Close your eyes, love. Let them rest."

The Alpha rubbed Louis' back and felt the knobs of his curved spine, scared out of his own mind about what's happening to the mother of their pups. Louis cries into his shoulder while Harry tries to take in what's happening, and Edward figures out a possible route to a solution. 

Marcel cradles the back of Louis' head and whispers sweet little words into the Omega's reddening ear. He kisses the soft skin sometimes and nips at it at other times. 

Louis tries to open his eyes again after saying a soft prayer but his Alphas discourage him and tell him to rest. That meant holding on for dear life to Marcel's shirt and squeezing his eyes shut until they began to ache from a throbbing burn. 

"Why can't he see?" Edward combs his long, crooked fingers through his hair. "I've never heard of this happening before."

"I don't know. I don't _fucking know_ and it scares me." Harry nearly breaks the mirror in their bathroom as he vents. "What if it's our fault? We've.....we've rejected him and Omegas aren't supposed to be left alone-"

"It's not your fault any more than it is mine." Edward looks his brother in the eye. "He'll be okay after we take him to Meesa."

With the army outside their door and Louis' body breaking down like this within their home, Harry's bound to become grey haired before his time. He growls unpleasantly and punches the tiled wall aggressively. That results in a tile falling off after being chipped. 

"Stop it!" Edward hissed, eyes darkening and yanking Harry's arm aside. "You'll scare Louis out there and he's already fuckin' petrified."

Harry agrees and readily nods, containing his inner beastly ego with the clenching rhythm of his fists. "I'm not in control anymore."

"No, brother. You aren't." Edward sighs, truly feeling pity for the man who only knew control and now it was swept up from underneath him. "You can regain that control but you need to take care of things one at a time."

"There's no fucking time for that." Harry snarls, letting go of that chained wildness within him. "Take Lou to the doctor Meesa. I will be at the wall and Marcel has to await a response from the black dove."

Well, it appears challenging Harry's ability to handle many things at once has proven fruitful as the _Alfa_ will now take no prisoners in his mission to accomplish everything. 

"Okay." Edward takes his order and folds it into a simple quest mentally. "Spend some time with Louis before we leave, okay?"

Harry's frown is confused but hardly lasts more than a moment. He doesn't understand why his brother would say that. 

"No matter how much he loves us-" Edward softens his smile. "-there'll always be something indecipherably special about your connection with him."

Harry spent a few minutes speaking to his brother in the bathroom, hushed voices all around. Marcel rocks Louis on his lap while he kisses away all the hurt from his precious Omega. So much harm has come to this innocent soul and Marcel is the one to doubt their bond. He hates himself, but tries so hard to smother that hatred with love and affection. 

Louis gripped Marcel's shirt unconsciously tight, fingers curled around the fabric viciously and sniffing softly. The Omega whimpers at the burn in his eyes and tries to hide from it in his mate's neck. His eyes closed to a world no darker than the world he faced with them open. 

**_[A/N: I've been puzzling over this story for quite some time now. Yeah, Louis is blind and I'm not spoiling anything by telling you poop. Tomorrow is my Trigonometry test so wish me luck :) gonna be a longggggg night. - S xx]_ **


	20. XX

**_[A/N: I HAD THE BEST DREAM and I'm now forever emotionally unbalanced because of it. Sorry I took so long to update this, I ran out of writer's gusto. - S xx]_ **

The air grew thick with the promise of war, of glorious death. Both sides had it in them to prove that the first soldier to fall will not theirs. Both couldn't be correct.   
Xavier had the frontline prepared first with their best strategy while Harry motivated his Alphas for their first battle is such a long time. They didn't need a strategy beyond: Kill and don't let your brother be killed. 

The clearing was covered in snow and every footstep was easily distinguishable, every spot of blood sprayed would be painted across the blankness like a fresh canvas. It would speak of a historical event when two men fought for one heart. 

There was no armour for either side, no fancy weapons that would cost them their lives in the end. When the wind slowed to a slight breeze and the two edges of the clearing were littered with the presences of two armies, one stronger than the other, the fight began.

  
* * * * *  


Dr. Meesa said there was nothing she could do about Louis' blindness and that she'd keep regular checks on the pups to see if the evil got to them. Louis tried to compose himself in her office, rubbing the sides of his bump and blinking furiously as if it would help at all. 

"I'm really sorry, _Krasa_." She tried, pained. "I've just never seen this before."

After the doctor left, Marcel went to Louis' side and whispered sweet loving words in his ear. He hated this too, felt so helpless in this disaster. He took Louis' hands and kissed the insides of his palms. 

"You're going to be alright, pumpkin spice." He vowed it then that he would be. "I've got you, baby."

When Louis started to cry, his eyes burned more than they should have and he dampened Marcel's shirt by burying his face below the Alpha's chin. He sobbed and his shoulders shook with his border violent cries, Marcel trying to do nothing more than circle the Omega with his arms and kiss him over and over.

  
* * * * *  


The impending war they faced against the likes of Louis' kin and his acquaintances, took a turn for the ugly when Harry's relatives flew and sailed overnight to come aid the pack. With their army surrounded at all four cardinal points, Xavier still did not give up even before Harry could lunge at him. 

Harry didn't stop fighting until he saw the blood spilt of everyone who threatened his nest. 

"I want every Alpha and Beta in that clearing!" He shouted to the large gathering of every warrior he had. "There will be no death from this pack but if it be so, make **certain** your family will be proud of you."

Edward had stood beside his brother, one step below as was Marcel. He was the most distracted as the hope of an enemy's bloodshed did not render him properly averted from the fact that their pregnant Omega is alone at home.

"Fight today as I know you all have been craving to!" Harry saw some of his men transform into their beastly wolves.

The main strategy was to keep anyone from going into their home territory, nobody who didn't belong to the pack could get past the guards into the place where their loved ones were. Every gate was guarded and the wall was monitored by the strongest Betas.

Harry went for Xavier first. He found him near a tent where the heads of the entire operation stayed, spent their meal times and slumbers. It was a long charge because Xavier was guarded and he was bigger than Harry by a head. It took thirteen soldiers' bloody corpses to get to Xavier, the man who tried to take him Omega away.

The blood of others dripped down Harry's jaw, darkening his razor teeth and dampening the fur of his muzzle. He was pushed down by three wolves, he remembers, and that's when his cousin came to aid him. The white wolf with red eyes was just as big as him and she gave him a wink before snapping the neck of her victim.

Xavier fought back hard and Harry had many broken ribs from being slammed into trees and other wolves. He never whined and never stayed down. When he got his teeth sunk into the skin below Xavier's jaw and the metallic taste of blood leaked into his mouth, he dug deeper.

Xavier got his claws to slice open the flesh of Harry's shoulder but Harry held on until he fell. When the bigger monster's blood was staining the snow in deep red, Harry got on top of it and howled. Everyone came to know of the biggest death in the battle, and it wasn't long before every last one was dead.

The witch who cast a hateful disability on Louis, took away his sight, was dead too and after a mere few seconds, his sight returned. Her death rendered every spell she used, expired.

Louis was in their home cottage at the time and one moment he was asking Niall for sugar, then he tripped over Hercules because he was getting it himself. The Omega was stunned wordless when he could see his own hands, his own pregnant tummy like a fat curtain had been lifted.

"What happened?" Niall rushed to his side, holding Louis' arm and waist.

"I-I can see." Louis blinked a few times to rid himself of any possibility that this may be a mirage.

Hours later the triplets returned home to their mate waiting for them. Marcel picked up on it first when Louis looked directly at them instead of in their general vicinity and threw himself forward. He hugged Louis with matted clothes and gave him kisses everywhere. His arms lifted the Omega off the ground and he shook his head at the protest of his muscles. 

"You're okay." Louis had tears in his eyes, his _functioning_ eyes. He clasped both cheeks of Marcel's face and gave him a deep kiss. 

"So are you." Edward fell onto their sofa, sending it back several inches. He opened his arms and Louis crawled onto his lap. "I missed you, little dove."

Harry walked in last with a limp in his gait and not a single complaint about it. Louis got to him as he stumbled over the step into their home that's been there for years now. He hugged his Omega, wincing and allowing a fraction of his weight to rest on Louis' shoulders. 

"I'm sorry." Louis whispered into Harry's mouth. 

Harry simply shook his head and bypassed the reminder of his injuries to trace his thumb over Louis' cheekbone. He kissed Louis' thin lips and got aided climbing the stairs to the bathroom. 

"How many of our own did we lose?" Louis asked Harry, sitting on a closed toilet seat while Harry showered. 

"Not a damn one." Harry smirked at him via the misted mirror. 

The battle took a lot out of their nest and for the next few days the triplets were not allowed to do things for themselves. Louis was healthy enough to move around a little but Harry's cracked ribs weren't healing as fast as they should and Edward's back had been clobbered, smashed into and gnawed at too many times for it to heal quickly. 

"How do you feel?" Louis sat cross-legged on their bed between Edward and Harry. 

He got a groan from Marcel, a tighter squeeze from Edward and kiss from Harry.

  
* * * * *  


After their victory the nest had made plans to move back across the sea with their Styles relatives. The whole clan made camp both in and outside the Styles territory for a week. The Town was alive more than ever with the triplets' relatives and their warriors moving around. For once there was no threat present for them to worry about because their pack was so big. 

Harry called a meeting in the pack house for his brothers, his Beta, every member of his family that travelled across the sea. Louis was especially surprised when Nur showed up at past ten in the night to accompany him to the pack house. 

"What's this about?" He asked Harry once he was back indoors, getting the seat of Harry's big leather chair. 

His Alpha gave him a kiss on his forehead and helped him sit down. "We're moving house."

"Really?" Louis held onto his arm when Harry knelt down in front of him. "Why?"

"Our cousin has offered to open his home to us." Edward came and sat on the armrest of the chair, knowing how much it comforted Louis to rest against one of them. 

"But they're all the way across the world." Louis eventually closed his eyes and turned his face into Edward's side. 

Marcel took Louis' other side, pressing kisses to the Omega's neck and cheek. He got their mate to shy away and and blush. 

"Yes they are." Marcel concurs. "Staying here when this district is going to Hell, isn't any wiser."

Louis knew that. He bit his lip and giggled when Marcel nuzzled his neck affectionately. "So why am I here?"

"We're all here and the decision is also yours, my sweet." Harry kisses Louis' knee and stands up with a crack of the knuckles in his back. "Everyone's here?"

"Yes, yes." The white wolf turned into a tall, all-leg blonde girl with the same electric red eyes. "Shall we do a role call?"

Harry glared at her but everyone allowed in the room knew him well enough to see the small smirk teasing the corner of his lips. Twenty-three people were packed into this large office, all of Styles breeding or stature. 

It was decided by the end of it that if Harry could get his pack to box up their things in a week, they'd be welcome to travel home with the pack from overseas. The entire gang was told at midnight and there were few who felt this was their home. They weren't leaving.  
Marcel tried to convince them that staying here without protection would mean death, but these elderly members were steadfast in their decision and only sent the younger individuals of their family to go. 

"It's your choice." Harry finally cut in, standing on the highest point so everyone could see him. "There are few of you that are staying and I know you all personally."

Marcel glanced at his brother from the side, offering a small sad smile as the twitch of his lips when Harry looked at him. 

"Personally enough to wish you'd change your minds." Edward finished for him.

  
* * * * *  


"Why aren't you packing?" Edward tossed a pile of folded clothing at Marcel, who was lying on his back beside Louis on the bed. 

"I've been packing for two days." Marcel threw the clothes back and it hit the rigid build of Edward's shoulders. "You and big brother only started now."

"Give him a rest." Louis sat against a nest of pillows, his fingers tracing Marcel's bicep since this Alpha of his hated tattoos unlike the other two.

"You favour him." Edward drops some clothing of his own into his duffel bag. 

"No he doesn't." Harry walked in with the bathroom products he was told to gather. 

It was their last day in the home the triplets knew their whole lives. They couldn't wait to leave it behind, despite what Harry said. 

"You were born here, Edward." Harry sat at the foot of the bed with Louis' ankles on his lap. "How can it be so easy to let go of?"

"How can it _not_?" Marcel's muffled voice comes from Louis' hip. The Omega giggles from the ticklish sensation racing through the skin of his side. 

"Think of it as exploring the world, Hazza." Louis says, sounding delightfully happy. "Haven't you ever wanted to do that?"

"Sometimes." Harry leans all the way back so Louis has his curls to play with on his protruding tummy. "I saw no need for it when there were responsibilities here."

"Why am I the only one packing?" Edward proclaims with a groan, moving his shirtless self from cabinet to drawer. "We're leaving tomorrow."

"Calm down." Marcel sounds like he's half asleep. "We've only got Lou's stuff to pack."

"I told you I'd do it myself." Louis interrupts to point out. 

"You've taken care of us these past few days." Harry cranes his neck to look Louis in the eye. "You must rest."

"Our pups can't be that easy to tame." Marcel comments off-handedly, affection oozing from his act of massaging Louis' hip. 

"Their fathers aren't easy to tame either."

  
* * * * *  


The day of their leave was an upsetting one to say the least on Louis' part. In his short stay with the Styles pack, he's become beloved and well-known by every member as they all loved the Omega that changed their leader for the better. Saying goodbye to these people is the hardest thing he's ever done. 

"I respect your decision to stay." Louis smiles at the couple seated on their porch with whom he sat. "You're loyal to your home."

"Thank you." He says to the family that gave him a bunch of native roses - dark purple and speckled white. "They're beautiful, loves."

Eventually he couldn't hide from his Alpha that was searching for him everywhere. The people loved seeing their _Krasa_ and _Alfa_ together all lovey-dovey but today is a sad occasion. Harry found Louis and wrapped his protective arms around the boy. 

"Let's go, my sweet." He kissed Louis' temple. 

As Louis stood up straighter with a new coat over his shoulders, one of the elderly ladies that he was in the company of called to Harry. He turned around and Louis saw the pained look in his eye, something the Alpha admitted to late at night. He hated leaving anyone behind and it affected him more than he expected. 

"For you, _Alfa_ Harry." She takes the black velvet case from her friend who went to fetch it. Her frailty led to Harry suddenly stopping her from standing. 

He opened the case once it was in his possession, and after a quick glance at his mate. Louis gasped and Harry went completely stone rigid, his eyes blazing with a dozen different emotions as they flittered from the woman to the gift. 

Two gold crowns sat on black fabric, one much smaller than the other although otherwise identical. The design was flawless and had no jewels but at the front was the Styles family symbol of S and a fierce hybrid. The large crown would fit Harry, and the smaller one would be for his successor that's bound to be one of his pups. 

Louis caught Harry's eye and gave him a small smile from the heart. Harry couldn't bring himself to do more than thank the women and storm off. He stayed silent during the voyage, tracing the symbol at the front of the baby crown while he rested his cheek on Louis' bump. 

"They still love you." Louis combed through Harry's hair, comforting his troubled mate. "You can't regret anything."

"I was a deplorable _Alfa_." Harry set the crown down. 

"They love you, Haz." Louis cradled Harry's face in his hands. "You did something right to have earned their eternal love and support."

  
* * * * *  


Two weeks later and Louis is successfully eight weeks pregnant with the side effects of his sudden blindness never reaching his babies. The two month old pups were so well behaved for their mother and never kicked unless they were really excited. 

"Lou?" Edward walks into their new bedroom without a shirt followed by Marcel in just tiny purple boxers. 

Their stay has been thus far incredible at the Styles headquarters - as Louis calls it. He's not exaggerating either, the triplets' family extends for miles here. The air is clearer and the people are easier to communicate with. If your last name is Styles, you live in the biggest palatial structure any mortal's ever seen. 

Louis couldn't wait to give birth so he'd have the ability to walk around a little and explore. His pups would have the ideal place to grow up amongst other young ones and their kind parents. 

The building broke down to little quarters and wings that catered to individual families as they've come together over the ages. There was a grand dining hall at the cross section where passageways for every wing met, but it was only mandatory that everyone gather for dinner. 

"Yes?" Louis is sitting on their insanely large Egyptian mattress with feather pillows all around him and Harry between his legs whispering to his bump. 

There was a pool as big as three yards in the back but the twins were returning from the showers that weren't attached to their bedroom. Harry's been having an exhausting time adapting to a new world so his brothers gave him a good few hours to be alone with his mate. 

They had discussed few things in the time they were given. Louis mainly combed through Harry's hair in calm sweeping motions, listening to the Alpha whisper little things that made Louis turn gooey like _'My darling spawn'_ or _'I can't wait to meet you, dumplings.'_

"That was a very long shower." Harry didn't even look up from his praising of Louis' glorious bump. 

"And we've got the chafing to show." Marcel crawled onto the white comforter and gave Louis one of his best kisses, having to loom over his brother to do so. 

Life here has mellowed out the triplets and made Louis a little easier on himself. There weren't servants and maids but Louis got to meet so many of his mates' relatives from far and near, befriend the oldest and youngest of them all. It's like after all the hardships they had to endure, it's finally showing a rainbow. 

Harry uses a weakness he's known his brother had since his childhood years, and digs his knuckle into Marcel's belly button. The latter Alpha hisses and recoils so suddenly that it stuns Louis. 

"You're mean." Louis tugged on Harry's curls. 

The Alpha turned on his side between his Omega's legs and kissed his thigh. "My apologies, brother."

Marcel huffs and curves his body to fit Louis', ensuring that below his pectoral region is covered by one of the many sheets they have that always remained unmade on their bed. 

"Do you like life here, pumpkin?" Marcel caressed Louis' cheek with his knuckle lightly, silently worshipping the blue crystals just above them. 

"How could I not?" Louis hugs a body pillow to his front. "Have you seen Liam and Niall recently?"

The pair had to live in the beautiful township in their own little house, one of many that were open to the arriving Styles pack. They weren't mated yet because Niall was giving Liam a hard time about it. 

"No." Marcel gave his bond mark a kiss. "No." He reinstated the kiss. "No." Another kiss.

Louis finally got him to stop by giggling and turning his head away. He's in Edward's direction and about to ask why the Alpha is staring at him dopily when he feels a blast to the inside of his abdomen. He sits upright with the sudden jolt like a jab of a tiny butterfly, gasping and framing his baby bump with both hands. 

"Oh my pups." Harry has been feeling them all day and simply nuzzles the spot he felt it. 

Louis is so glad that Dr. Meesa was wrong and Harry didn't favour one pup above the other. He knows how stubborn Harry can be and how dangerous too. 

"Was that them?" Edward places a palm over the spot. "I want to feel it again."

"I'm sure you do." Louis raises an eyebrow at him. 

"Does it hurt?" Edward turns sad. 

"No. It feels like my puppies just really want you three to notice them." Louis had eyes full of hearts when he gazed lovingly at his tummy. "We need to finalise names, you know."

"We do." Marcel is no sweet talker when he discusses the names of their unborn miracles. He loves them very much and would like for them to have beautiful names. 

Edward is still flawed by the kick his Omega felt _from their babies_ and Harry chuckles in mocking when his brother thumbs at the taut skin where it was felt. 

"Oh shut up." Edward glares at his sibling. 

Harry chortles and rolls over to the end of the bed, standing up and exercising his muscles after hours of restlessly staying in bed. His Omega mate watches him do so with a bitten lip and unmasked appreciation at the ripple of Harry's muscles, the perfect movement of his back muscles flexing and the crack of his neck. 

Louis feels like unmated innocence again. 

Unfortunately for him, Louis' staring does not go unnoticed when Harry goes to slip on a shirt that leads a V down the front and was white enough to show his marred skin beneath it. In the mirror he caught Louis' eye and gave him a sly wink followed by a smirk when Louis blushed. 

"I think-" Marcel interrupts their non-verbal communication. "-Bellamy is a ten out of ten."

"Theodore." Edward votes. "We're bound to have at least two boys."

The genders could not be known until the pups were born and that put a bit of a hindrance on their parents' name-picking process. 

"Bellamy for one girl, Theodore for one boy." Harry sums up with an approving nod. "I like Alexander for another boy."

"I've always liked Catherine." Louis says in contribution. "It's a lovely name for a baby girl."

"We could use one more boy name." Marcel says. 

"Let's be spontaneous on that one." Louis stops anyone from suggesting any names. Having two girl and two boy names was fine for him. 

"I agree." Edward flops onto his back. "Can we sleep now?"

"No." Harry goes into their closet in the search for pants. "You know we have dinner in an hour."

"I'm going to get fat in this place." Edward pokes his own abs. Louis rolls his eyes. 

"Nobody's telling you to eat all the food just because it's there, Edward." He pulls the shoulder-length hair of his Alpha near. "You need a haircut, Alpha."

"No." Edward refused and rejected. "How come Marcel gets to keep his Rapunzel hair?"

"Because Lou braids me hair." Marcel has followed Harry to the closet but stayed far away from the smug Alpha who jabbed his navel. 

"You can braid my hair too." Edward is the last to make a move, remaining cuddled against Louis for as long as possible. 

"Thanks, Alpha." Louis laughs to himself, planting a kiss on Edward's nose and cheek. 

"Let's get ready, Lou." Harry comes around the side and extends his arms. "Can you walk?"

Louis has been an easier time walking than usual but that's only because he moved around their house wing or went down to the dining room for supper. Anything beyond that is forbidden up until the birth of their pups. 

"Yeah." Louis accepted the help and got to his feet, feeling wobbly as he steadied himself. 

"Feeling okay?" Harry pushed Louis' hair back and kissed his Omega's neck two times. 

"A little nauseous." Louis admits, holding onto the Alpha's shoulders and resting his forehead against the left one. "Your pups are heavy."

"Yeah?" The Alpha traced Louis' spine with his fingertips, his lips at Louis' ear. "I'm glad."

Louis pinches Harry hard bicep and inhales the hot spice of a scent that is his Alpha mate. He gets caged in by two protective arms and can't help his wide grin when Harry's chest rumbles as he buries his face in the Omega's neck. 

"My sweet." Harry's rough stubble grazes Louis' sensitive neck. "My sweet, sexy Omega."

"There's nothing sexy about being this heavy."

Harry scoffs like Louis spoke an almighty lie. "There's everything sexy about it."

  
* * * * *  


Dinner was especially spectacular because Harry got to sit at the head of the table, as every Alpha took turns to be seated there. If he was at the head, his lovely mate would always be seated across from him. Edward stayed on Harry's right while Marcel took Louis' left. It was a complete system that way. 

"How was your day, cousin?" The leggy blonde, Amber, asks Harry. 

"Same as yours." Harry chose not to openly display it but he adored his family, especially those who were in his generation. 

Her mate was Omega, as she was Alpha, but their relationship was in no way unbalanced. "Tedious and spent following someone around in the biggest fucking garden in the universe." 

Harry smiled crookedly as he sliced his beef. "Why do you insist on following then?"

Amber tried to kick him under the table but Harry growled and she just laughed it off. They got back to eating for a few minutes before Harry had more questions thrown at him about what he did daily and whether their new family's stay here was fine. 

"Alright, pumpkin?" Marcel put his hand on Louis' knee and asked softly over their glasses. Louis' was filled with water and Marcel's with red wine. 

"Fine." Louis smiled reassuringly at him. "How 'bout you?"

Harry was watching their interaction over the many centrepieces and meal dishes. He relaxed when Louis smiled and responded with something that made his brother chuckle. 

His distant cousins and aunts all tried to shove as much conversation as they could into the hour or so that they were all together. The newly mated group was the fascination and new item for everyone to fawn over.   
Harry had unintentionally kept them away from every relation they had while Marcel tried to keep in contact. The contrast made for a very muddled reunion with pleasant results. 

"We're going hunting tomorrow." Another first cousin of the triplets, Lucifer, spoke. 

"Are you inviting us or forbidding us, Lucy?" Edward smirked while he chewed. 

Louis honestly looks at the people around him and wants to put the image in a picture frame. Each and every one was extremely attractive and it had to be a crazy gene that the family carried. If you didn't have long legs in this family, you had perfect hair or the best smile. If none of those, then a wide intellect that made everyone feel inferior. More often than not, Louis' met Styles family members with all of the above. 

"Inviting." Lucifer specified after swallowing. "Do you remember the rules from when you were a year old?"

Edward nudged Harry's elbow on the table and the latter Alpha sought to join the conversation. "We were one year olds, Lucy, but we still got more game than you."

"And they still will now." Amber added in, raising her glass to the air. "To the best hunter."

Everybody pitched in after that with the promise of a riveting hunting match tomorrow that will not end until a winner is announced amongst the cousins. 

"To the best hunter."

  
* * * * *  


Edward went with Amber to the weaponry quarters to awe at the hunters' equipment they had. Marcel agreed to just stick around the public dining room for a little while longer after Harry cornered him. 

"Do it." Harry was in Marcel's face in a broom closet they both bet nobody knows about. 

"Magic word, big brother?" Marcel pushed his luck and smiled without care. 

Harry growled instead. 

"Ugh fine." Marcel gave in. "Why should I make myself scarce anyway?"

Harry simply smirked, a little dimple in his perfectly crafted cheekbone and a salaciously sinister glint in his eye. When Louis questioned him exactly twenty minutes later after returning to their bedroom, Harry gave him the same silent response. 

"On the bed, my sweet." He pulled his shirt over his head and flipped off the light switch. 

Louis stripped completely before complying. They were dumped into a dark room with just moonlight to guide Harry to the bed. His skin has gotten paler but it was so perfectly light for the Alpha. 

"I've neglected you." Harry spoke in Louis' blushing ear, the Omega holding his mate's biceps with splayed out fingers. 

"No you haven't, Alpha." Louis replied during the long exhale of a loud gasp. 

Harry made a low comforting noise from deep in his chest, his face hidden from the world in Louis' neck. He caressed the left and right sides of Louis' two month old pregnant bump, planting open-mouthed kisses on the skin that was exposed to him. 

Louis' skin was more golden, like the sun. His taste was sweeter and softer, like honeysuckle. The Omega whimpered under the ministrations of his half naked mate from above him, his body arching as much as it can even if he didn't comprehend why he was appealing in this bloated state to an Alpha male. 

"Stop it." Harry cradled the back of Louis' head and drew him in for a kiss. "Stop hurting yourself inside."

When Louis' eyes connected with Harry's there was a spontaneous collision of emerald on sapphire. It was electric and if Louis wasn't currently immobilised by the weight of his pups, he'd have climbed onto Harry's lap. He threaded his fingers through Harry's hair instead, giggling when Harry turned into the touch and kissed his wrist. 

"I love you." Harry diffused the secret onto Louis' tongue with his own. "I love you with all the power a mad man has."

A mad man can love with more than a simple lover. He's been driven into and beyond the darkness all his life. When that one thing brings him back, there's no redemption but the touch of it, the taste of it. 

Harry got between Louis' thighs and stole any sort of retort by diving in to taste the slick he's been deprived of for such a long time. He kisses Louis' inner thighs, sucks deep red marks into them and pins Louis' hands down when he's resisted. 

"What's wrong, my sweet?" He massaged the skin of Louis' hips, pressing kisses there where his mate stretched the most. 

"What's gotten into you?" Louis stared into his blackening eyes. They sparkled with the beasts of lust and love.

Harry responded by acting, he licked a small stripe over Louis' glistening hole. The Omega shuddered against him and his head fell back against the pillows. He fisted the sheets aggressively when his mate's tongue prodded at him again, very subtly getting past the barrier of his clenching rim. 

His slick flowed out and dripped down his thighs which Harry hated. He sunk his teeth into a perfect 'O' around Louis' entrance and redirected the flow to his mouth. The taste was exquisite and filled Harry's senses, his mind with a flood of rancid emotions.

Louis mewled and thrashed about while Harry got his skin wetter, his own chin soaked with slick and saliva. He pushed his tongue into Louis' body and the Omega cried out helplessly, curling his appendages and biting his lip fiercely. His body clamped down on Harry but the Alpha growled and reassured the inner submissive of his mate that it was just him, and he's going to look after the boy. 

Harry ate Louis out until he was crying from overstimulation and finally let up to kneel between those perfect round thighs. Louis was breathless and out of energy, his body covered in a perfect sheen of sweat as he settled from his two orgasms. 

"My perfect Omega." Harry gave Louis' belly four kisses and kitten licked a droplet of Louis' come. He came shortly after and added to the mess. 

"What was that for?" Louis asked with a wonderful new pink tainting his skin colour as he cuddled up to Harry's side after they'd cleaned up. 

"I quite love you." Harry gave Louis a passionate kiss beneath the covers. "I thought I'd show you."

"Oh?" Louis circled his index around Harry's nipple. "Has your boredom finally gotten the best of you, Alpha?"

Harry playfully bites the back of Louis' neck and makes him whine, pawing at his chest to earn release. Not being _Alfa_ to everyone here was enough to add free time on Harry's schedule because a council handled all political matters to date. 

However, his own pack from Nova Scotia always came to him first with any serious dilemmas and it was frowned upon by the council. Harry apologised against his principles and despite his argument, his pack was warned not to do it again. 

"You're going hunting tomorrow." Louis sucked in a quick breath that hurt his gritted teeth when Harry's lips pecked his swollen nipple before sucking on it. 

Harry hummed, the course sensations running thrilling tracks up Louis' spine. The Alpha nursed from his mate while he lay between his thighs. "I will bring back my biggest prize for you and my pups."

A knock on the door didn't break them apart, for Harry kept suckling the milk that his mate was producing in abundance. Marcel didn't even complain anymore about not having enough for him.

The night passed with muffled conversation beneath the covers. Everyone was using as little space as possible; Louis on Harry's chest curled up around his biggest feature. He had the perfect view out the window and balcony where some people were just waking up, others turning in. The lights glimmered and flickered from the villages below this establishment. He fell asleep to the soft humming of Harry's heart and rhythm of Marcel's fingers on his waist. 

The hunting event was nothing like Louis thought it would be. Food was in abundance here and the hobby of hunting was just that: a hobby. The animals that were killed remained simple prizes that Alphas gave to their mates, which ended up at an orphanage in the village. 

"You look.....dashing." Louis commented on Harry's assigned attire for the day. 

He would be hunting in his wolf form but the Styles family had a tradition for the hunting sport. They wore weights that effectively slowed them down and made it harder to hunt. The weights were filled as golden plates on a saddle-like object that sat on Harry's shoulders for both his forms. 

"You hesitated." Harry chuckles, flashing a canine and dimple. 

They were in the courtyard of their new home, where the hunting expedition would begin. Harry stretched and gave Louis a kiss. 

"Good luck." Louis brushed his hair back. "Don't torture any poor creatures."

"That's sucks the fun right out of it, dove." Edward came for his kiss that landed on Louis' lips. 

"Let's have a wager with this." Marcel jogged up to them, skin glittering with sunlight bouncing off the moist outer layer. 

"No." Edward refused. "No more competitions."

"Someone's chicken." Amber walked by and added conveniently. Edward pulled on her weights and she stumbled but didn't fall. "Jackass."

"A wager then." Edward turned back to their circle. "Whoever brings the smallest carcass home, sleeps in the guest room."

Louis shook his head at their decision and waved his hand until someone stopped to listen. " _No_ competition. I don't want any of you sleeping in the guest room."

There was no further argument on the topic and the brothers took their kisses before gathering with the rest of their cousins. One by one the Styles Alphas disappeared into the forest's edge as they transformed smoothly in the air into the wolf counterparts. 

"Could I sit with you?" Amber's mate, Susan with black hair and brown eyes, motioned to the barren cushioned seat beside Louis. 

"Sure." Louis straightened up and crossed his legs in his chair. 

Hercules has been out and about since they got here and sometimes Louis even forgets he's their pet when he catches the creature following a cat or cub around the court. Now is no different, as he watches his lynx teenager trot over to him after passing a hound. 

"We've never spoken before." Louis tells her politely, petting Hercules' fur and listening to the appreciative purr he gets. 

"No." She smiles and shakes her head. "We haven't. Have you enjoyed your stay here?"

"I've been asked that so many times I'm beginning to doubt I'm in the right place." 

Susan laughs, twice as beautiful when her freckles show more distinctly and eyes more brilliantly. "I've been here for thirteen years and that doesn't change."

"Thirteen years." Louis licks his lips and pulls his tunic over his bump. "What do you do everyday?"

"This life is luxury, Louis. There's never anything to do besides visit the village or occupy yourself here."

"No fighting? No festivals?"

"No festivals, Louis. The Council handles all the problems in this district."

"So why do we live in the biggest home here?"

"We always have." She shrugs. "It was like this when I moved in, and Amber says the same."

Louis nods in acknowledgement of her story. "How long are you two mated?"

"Fifteen years." Susan answers quickly. "We spent two years moving from place to place until someone told us that Amber's last name meant something like this."

Louis occupied himself with falling asleep on the half-couch/half-chair seat he was on. His pups were tired altogether and making him exhausted by fluttering around restlessly. 

"Alright, loves." He whispered to them, lying on his side with his eyes half-lidded. "Get some sleep, angels. You're going to be out here in the world soon."

He had an estimated two weeks left to grow and nurture his pups in his tummy before they decided they want out. Louis was going to enjoy them being part of him, never letting him be alone and sad, for as long as he can. His palm fell on the side of his tummy as he nodded off, and a soft kick beneath it alerted him that the youngest baby he was carrying is just as eager to meet him. 

**_[A/N: Bit of a fast one, I know. I'm so sorry. Has anyone else started to picture Harry as Jean-Claude from the Anita Blake series? Because I am and o.O I recommend a Google Image Search. - S xx]_ **


	21. XXI

**_[A/N: I watched Jurassic World while I wrote this......if that helps. Bit of a disturbing birth scene. - S xx]_ **

The hunt was going to be pronounced a definite success before Amber decided to lead their group beyond their territory for adventure purposes. 

Harry had caught enough game to be satisfied with not going beyond borders into the fields and property of outsiders, along with both his brothers. Their backs were sore from the weight of their catches along with the gold bars strapped onto them. 

"We should see why-" 

Lucifer growled and dominantly cut across Amber's suggestion. "There's no need to know things that aren't important."

"Oh relax, Lucy." One of the other female cousins joined in, braiding her red hair over her shoulder. "Have a bit of fun."

"We're going back." Edward spoke up before it was assumed they'd be doing anything irresponsible. "It's getting late."

"It's hardly three hours after noon." Amber replies, a smirk on her face. "The sun's not even tired yet."

"Get off it, Amber." Harry snarled. "Anything beyond our land is none of our business."

" _Our_ land?" The redhead stood up off her rock perch. "You three are the last to join, making this land the least bit yours."

"Yes and you came to us from a brothel so if we're picking on family, let's start with you." Lucifer has glowing grey eyes that display his irritation boldly. 

"Come on, H." Marcel touches Harry's tense shoulder. "Louis will be waiting for us."

It's enough to get Edward back in his wolf form to make the trip back shorter and he drags all their murdered prey back with him. Harry backs away from the circle of his family that's about to practise idiocy with rage radiating off him in warm floods.

"They're going to be in trouble." Marcel waits for Harry to turn first and unhooks the awful weights from his hunched back. "It won't be your fault."

Harry grunts and waits impatiently with the nail of his claw digging into the dirt. When Marcel is his wolf self, they tear through the woods after Edward's scent to get back home. The closer they get the worse Harry begins to feel, and a howl slicing through the tropical air gets him to pause and whine. 

He looks at Marcel who is as clueless as him but sniffing something to get answers. There's a gutting sensation in their chests and something reflects off their bond. Another howl reaches their ears and it's Edward's wolf this time so they kick the dirt and race back to the courtyard. 

"What happened?!" Marcel falls back into his human self, dropping every physical burden he has to ask Edward. 

Harry is scanning the surrounding area for any sign of their mate but he is absent from the spot they left him. All the same people who were here before are still here, except Edward has a goofy grin on his face. 

"What's wrong with you?" Harry frowns at his younger brother. 

"It's Louis." Edward doesn't even glance in the direction of the forest line when Lucifer and some others come racing through. "He's in labour."

"Was that what the howl was for?" Lucifer cracks the knots in his neck as he approaches them on the green lawn. "I freakin' thought something bad happened."

"Where is he?" Harry asks, a new sensation building rapidly by the second in his jittery nerves. _His pups!_

"We're not allowed to see him." Edward's smile falters a bit. "He's in the doctor's quarters and we have to- Harry!"

Harry sprints across the courtyard to where he knows his mate is going to be, the ache and stress of his muscles not existing to him. He pushes on until he's up the staircase to the left of the kitchen and banging his fist on the heavy door of the doctor's wing. He can smell Louis so close and hear him screaming something but can't _touch_ him. 

"You can't be-" Dr. Meesa is interrupted by Harry barging into the room after stepping around her. _"Alfa!"_

"I'm not Alfa." His Alpha timbre fades off when he steps into the bedroom where Louis is. 

The Omega is panting painfully with his body jerking and doesn't see Harry standing in the doorway. He screams when another coil of pain lashes out against the tight muscles of his abdomen and more sweat soaks the sheets. Harry can't imagine a beautiful scene. 

"My sweet." He rushes to the side Louis is facing and brushes his damp hair away from his eyes. "Oh love, they're coming."

"They are." Louis heaves. "Don't kiss me unless you want a torn lip."

Harry chuckles and whispers: "I'll take my chances."

He plants a hard kiss on Louis' raw lips and kicks off his shoes to get on the bed behind him. The Omega will need his support and through the pain, his scent will calm him down. Louis whines and clutches Harry's hand like a steel cage, hiding his face in the Alpha's neck. 

Dr. Meesa has re-entered the room by this point and chosen to ignore the circumstances. "I wanted to conduct a C-section but one baby has already prepared to drop."

Magically Marcel and Edward are there too, having abandoned their excited cousins downstairs to join Harry with their mate. Dr. Meesa grabs Marcel by the hand before he can reach the bed. 

"He'll bleed out." She says, utterly serious and heartbroken. "I can't cut without hurting the babies and natural birth will kill him."

Harry growls at all the foul words she's speaking and Edward continues whispering things to Louis so he doesn't hear a thing. Marcel looks to them for help. 

"We can try the older technique." She suggests with a hopeful but careful expression. 

"No." Marcel barks, on behalf of both his brothers. 

"It's not as risky as any human method." She implores. "His accelerated healing won't allow him to bleed out."

Marcel looks about to break out in a sob and he begs Harry with silent pleas to consider this option. Harry is the oldest Alpha and he has to decide. 

Long before the discovery of blades and when the first werewolves were created, Omegas handled their pregnancies and labours in their wolf forms. It was easier even if more exhausting, because they relied so much on their mates. They remained in their wolf forms until the pups they were carrying transformed too, which was a long and painful process for the mother. 

When all was ready, the Alpha mate who spent all prior time comforting their mate had to get the young ones out. The first time it was done, the Alpha used his claw to make a tiny slit away from the foetuses, then widen it with his jaw and extract the pup. By using their jaws, essence in their saliva kept the Omega's body from going into shock because of familiarity. In their wolf forms, the Omegas would heal in a few minutes after bleeding any impurities out. 

Some believed there was a deep magic that protected Omegas giving birth from dying when they used this technique, because it's the way it's supposed to be done. Not a single death has been recorded no matter the number of pups being born. 

The only risk was if the Alpha cut too deep or too long, too close to a pup. It's never happened because a dominant mate's instinct to protect their nest and that's what they always do. It doesn't make the time spent preparing any less terrifying to the new Alphas. 

Nobody has used this method in centuries of generations because of technological advancements, but doing it the traditional way made packs content. The elders of their community were proud to hear of a successful birthing. 

"Please." Marcel had pulled Harry aside and left Edward to comfort their Omega. "You have to do this for him. He's in pain, Harry."

Harry wants to glare at his brother and snap at him for stating the fucking obvious but he's going through the same train wreck as the younger. "If I do it wrong, brother-"

"You won't." Marcel unpredictably punches Harry's arm. "Don't be an idiot. You know you'll never do it wrong."

"I can't hurt him." Harry licks his lips and hangs onto the upper one, worry coating the little relief and excitement he's earned. 

"Harry? Harry, look at me." Marcel pulls his sibling's troubled eyes away from the bed and towards him. "You'll kill everyone else on this planet before you let a damn thing hurt Lou. It's who you are and when you do this there will be nothing on your mind except making sure our family is safe."

"I want you and Edward there too." Harry says after a long moment spent watching Louis try to sleep but grimace and flinch in pain too often to doze off. "I know I have to do it but-"

"That's alright. We'll be there." Marcel promises, smiling kindly at his older brother. "Stop worrying."

"I'm not." Harry frowns in a pure lie. 

"I believe you." 

Marcel surprises Harry by pressing an encouraging kiss on the latter's forehead and walking away to talk to Dr. Meesa. The female waits for him to explain the consent before speaking. 

"You will be alone during the birth, as is tradition." She momentarily thinks about the way traditions have changed. "Come get me once it is done. You can't keep the pups because there are tests that need to be done, which I will finish as fast as I can."

Marcel listens to the instructions like they're the codes for an antidote of immortality. He takes in the information and releases a long exhale when she closes the doors to the bedroom to give them privacy. He finds Harry kneeling at the side of the bed with Louis listening to something he's being told. 

"That's so scary, Hazza." Louis is easily frightened by this because the pressure on his pelvic bone along with the raging hormones is throwing him overboard. 

"It's not, my sweet. It's not." Harry holds his hands and presses a kiss to Louis' lips twice. He parted their lips and a string of saliva still joined them. 

"You have to change, little dove." Edward rubs Louis' back, his concern in overdrive after learning of new developments. "We're about to have our littler doves."

He gets Louis to giggle at that, which is progress from their testosterone and pheromones troubled room. Louis sags into his cradle of pillows and closes his eyes with a squeeze. He hasn't become his wolf in weeks and this is the transformation of four little ones as well. Slowly the venom of a millenium old trait begins to seep into his bones again and unsettle the animal within him. His eyes open again and he's a perfect white wolf splayed out on his side on the bed. 

"You did well, pumpkin." Marcel rubs the large bump that's making Louis heave and wheeze during breathing. 

The wolf whines and nuzzles the soft pillow his head is on. He feels the kicking of his pups wanting to understand this new change but not being able to. They're slowly changing themselves to suit their mother when Harry crawls up to lay beside him. His wolf is three times larger, possibly four, and he huffs as he sits down. 

Louis' eyes meet his and he raises his head off the pillow to get attention but Harry's chest rumbles and he nudges him back down. He curls his tail around Louis and protects the growing baby bump with his body. Harry feels Louis' fur get wetter with the perspiration he's producing, so his primal senses lead him to keep Louis relaxed by licking the spots he could. 

The Omega whined and bumped Harry's jaw with his snow white muzzle, in his slightly haphazard way of thanking his mate. Harry's duty is to keep Louis calm and happy while their pups change so they can come out into the world. His paw rests against the bump and his inner Alpha preens at the movements of his puppies. 

An Alpha had a responsibility higher than anything other they've been awarded during this period. For the amount of time it took their babies to prepare, they had to provide food and water, warmth and protection. Omegas rarely got hungry during labour but they had to drink enough water to remain hydrated. 

"I'll get water." Edward offers, as he and Marcel have remained in their human form. 

Harry makes a small sound in his throat that gets Louis' sleepy attention. The Omega has curled himself up and looks up with reddened eyes at his mate. Drinking is the task of Harry pouring water down Louis' throat whilst trying to not make the surrounding conditions undesirable. He knows Louis won't mind if the bed got wet from splatters but he's not going to allow the bending his Omega's standards. 

Edward sits by Louis' side and pours water carefully down his throat, all while keeping a soothing hand on the Omega's soft fur. He can feel the dampness as well and Harry shares a look with him before Edward leaves. Louis manages to fall asleep with his head against Harry's side, sometimes whimpering or making pained sounds in his short slumber. 

"Almost." Marcel informs Harry when he's asked about the progress of their pups. "Two more to change."

Harry gives the bump all his attention after that. He feels around very gently with the tip of his muzzle for where he can make the required tiny incision. During this inspection there's a knock on the door and Harry's surprise causes him to growl loudly enough for the ceiling to rattle, the chandelier to flicker and windows to vibrate. 

Unfortunately for their promise of privacy, the door opens shortly after being knocked. Louis wakes up then at the intrusion of someone foreign in his senses and in his helpless state, can only ask Harry to get rid of it. Harry doesn't have to stand up because Edward does, with a mighty pissed off expression. 

"Someone told the Council." Dr. Meesa tells them through the gap she created. "Expect them to pay you a visit soon."

"Don't let them in." Edward is stern and unwavering. 

"They'll only come after _Krasa_ gives birth. Not before." She shuts the door again and continues her wait. 

Harry aids Louis when the Omega wants to switch sides. He secures Louis' neck while turning him and his head snaps up when he sees what he sees. Beneath Louis' disarrayed fur was the track of stressed blood vessels that's so easily visible with such white fur. 

"Too much pressure." Marcel tells nobody in particular but everyone hears, then looks at Harry. "Keep him cool. Keep him calm."

Nobody seemed to remember the old magic reassurance because stress was getting to them. The Alpha sets his sights on doing so and rubs his snout along the very red veins he can locate easily. He is deeply concerned about them and Louis' eyes dart from him to the wall in confusion. Harry tries to distract him right after that, playfully nipping at Louis' paw and grumbling. The Omega cranes his neck for a short moment and Harry would be frowning if he could. He sets Louis' head back down on the pillow and keeps it there by lying down behind him. 

"It's time." Marcel announces half an hour later when Louis' fallen asleep again after several cups of water. 

"Shit." Edward starts pacing with his hand unbuttoning his shirt. He stops once Louis is gently shaken awake, not wanting to shake up his mate's nerves as well. 

Harry doesn't allow to pick up its pulse rate and gives Louis' snout a nuzzle to reassure him. He's as nervous as he's ever been and he can _feel_ the closeness existing between him and his pups because of how ready they are to meet him. 

Louis has a difficult time being situated correctly and it takes all three brothers to move him into position. Marcel gives him every cushion or pillow he can find just to be sure. The Omega is planted on his back which is a tough one but he keeps his limbs out of the way and licks Harry's throat to say thank you. Harry comforts him back with a questioning nudge. This is his duty and he _loves_ Louis. 

"Trust yourself." Marcel scratches Harry's fur behind his ear. "You're Louis' mate and these babies' father."

It seems to be the last shove Harry needs because he feels far more confident right afterwards. He presses the tip of his nose to where he's going to cut and jabs it with his tongue gently, confirming that there's nothing to harm here. Louis doesn't make a sound all through this, until Harry reveals his claw. His mate can't see the dagger sharp nail but he feels it trailing along his softest fur and whimpers. 

Harry knows he can't stop. If he does, this will become the most painful experience for his beloved. He overcomes his reluctance and presses down enough to feel the piercing of Louis' skin and the muffled bark turned howl from him. He immediately pulls his paw away and, with careful thinking, stops the blood from dripping everywhere by pressing his tongue against the sprout. 

He gathers himself with his eyes closed and when they open, the emerald shade has burned into blazing charcoal. His instincts take over for him and it feels like blacking out but in a safer way. The magic legend must be true then. 

The first pup is the biggest and almost slips from between Harry's blunt jaws twice. The furball yaps with its wolf eyes closed and goes with difficulty to Marcel's awaiting towel. The youngest triplet nearly passes out with joy and cuddles the wet baby as close as possible before setting him down in an assigned little crib. 

"She's beautiful." Edward praises the second pup, the contrast to the eldest when she comes out tiny and yawns between Harry's jaws. "Just like Louis, aren't you?"

The third pup is a pleasant one and Harry is careful when extracting this son of his. The baby whines and Marcel has messed his face enough with kissing their newborns but it doesn't stop him. Louis is thoroughly washed out by the final baby and is breathing slowly but healthily. Harry comes out his haze to find the fourth puppy squirming where he was carrying him and could have happily died of cardiac arrest at that moment. 

Harry gives Louis the last puppy to hold and slowly the folds of skin begin to close up with the miraculous healing ability Louis inherited from a father he never appreciated. Louis doesn't change back though until there's nothing but a bright red scar left behind and he whines at the sight of his baby, one of the triplets. He cleans the baby boy by nuzzling and licking until the pup paws at his neck and curls up next to him. 

Of the pups born, one is pure white like Louis and the others follow their fathers' fur. The biggest and sleepiest of the troop is Harry's direct descendant and has a perfect black coat. When Louis is back to his human form he can hardly move from the explicit soreness of his lower region but he holds his pup with watery eyes. 

"You did it." Harry whispers in his ear, carrying the restless son of his in his arms. 

Louis looks up at him with awe and admiration in his bright but tired eyes. He kisses Harry deeply for a full ten seconds. " _You_ did it."

Edward ignores the foul state of the bed they're in and sits beside Louis after giving the latter a long kiss. "I love you."

Louis blushes and a tear slips out at the sight of the baby Edward holds. "I love you. Both of you."

The triplets recently born already have distinct personality differences but they all love their mother. Louis' scent reaches them and all they want is to be held by him, which he has no issue with except for his weak physical condition. 

The smallest pup is a girl who Louis names Bellamy, their first choice for a name. She is Omega and well behaved. The biggest is Theo and Harry realises just how strong his son's grip is by the hold on his finger. Edward held the middle pup and he got a yawn from the little girl, Catherine, in his arms. Marcel's son had a full head of hair and changed back to his human state first, just in time to make his father almost cry. 

"Congratulations, Daddy." Louis kissed Marcel's dimple and his son's forehead. 

Dr. Meesa hears the cries of human babies and enters the room with caution. Alphas are very protective straight after their mate gives birth and her presence can put them on edge. She watches them bond before clearing her throat. 

"I'm sorry, _Krasa_." She apologises for the third time when the nurses under her employment take the pups away. "We won't be longer than an hour."

Louis nods but he's very unhappy with the time. He wants his babies now. He didn't even get to see all of them and they're being taken away. Marcel is the one to pick him up off the bed so the soiled sheets can be taken care of. 

"We're staying here until you can walk." He tells his submissive, cleaning him off with a wet cloth. 

Being okay with that, Louis was set back down on the massive mattress with fresh clothing on and impatience evident on all of them. Harry laid by Louis' side, thumbing over the thin but long scar he left on his mate's soft tummy. Soft _flat_ tummy. He was sure he'd mourn the baby bump. 

"I want my babies." Louis caved first and pouted. 

"Little bit longer." Edward sat behind him so Louis rested against his bare chest. He peppered kisses all over Louis' neck and shoulders. "You're my baby momma."

Louis laughs shortly and Marcel rolls his eyes, putting his head on Louis' ultra fine thigh. The skin there was soft and plump with just the perfect little baby hairs. 

"Indeed I am." Louis pressed his lips to Edward's jaw. 

"And yet-" Harry wrapped an arm over Louis' hips. "-Marcel, the youngest, is called Daddy."

Marcel groans and hides his visage against Louis' flesh. Louis himself giggles and turns a fresh flushed pink. "Are you jealous?"

"Of course I am." Harry declared with a smirk. "Obviously it isn't fair."

"I think it's rather the irony that's the point." Edward adds in. 

"Not true." Marcel grumbles. He likes the title his Omega gave him, irrespective of what his brothers said. 

"It is not." Louis agrees with a soft smile. "Marcel likes it and so do I."

"Deal with it." The youngest Alpha finishes with a grin that makes Harry laugh and Edward growl. 

The door creaks open and everyone falls silent, Harry now sitting upright closest to the door. In walks two nurses with small smiles and precious bundles in their arms. Louis' chest constricts magnificently as he's given the first baby, Alex, to hold. He's so soft and clean with a white blanket around him. 

Marcel crosses his legs and accepts Theo. It's a task for him when the obviously Alpha baby grabs his hair but doesn't pull. Marcel kisses the little one's chubby fist. Edward holds baby Catherine and he beams at the way she reaches for him with slow baby movements. Her fingers curl around his lip and Louis watches Edward pretend to bite them. 

Harry holds Bellamy and the baby girl has already opened her eyes, as hybrid babies are quicker than both wolf and human babies. She blinks up at him and he kisses her forehead. "My little sweet."


	22. XXII

**_[A/N: YOU GUYS ARE AS HAPPY ABOUT THE PUPS AS I AM OMG. I had to put this tiny short story at the top :'( it's my baby from all that I've written and if you recognise it, cry with me bc it's over. - S xx]_ **

**Harry met Louis during an unfortunate time in his life and many years went by in both their lives before he was able to understand why he made himself wait. Seeing Louis again meant stopping to stare in a school parking lot and not wanting the distance to be a real thing.**

**When the time came for Harry's courage to take over and push him into the same pasta isle as Louis, he asked to drive him to school instead of how his day was. The boy was amused by him but that was not the objective. Harry did the unthinkable to remove obstacles from their path, and in the end pushed Louis away too.**

**Needing Louis meant travelling across the world to find him after he left his hometown. Harry did so without the waste of time.**

**He located Louis on campus grounds and finally got a word - and some actions - in when he locked them into a lecture hall. Louis was terrified of him at this point but Harry was determined to change that and make himself the only safe haven for the boy.**

**A relationship is difficult to develop and sustain. For Harry and Louis it was a raw and almost rotten experience for the amount of times they both messed up. They stuck through it because Harry was scary but the world was terrifying.**

**Louis lived with Harry on his consent and after a gruelling day, they'd find solace in each other. Their bodies spent nights upon nights tangled together until a tragic mishap with Harry, brought Louis' pregnant condition to their attention. Harry had to strapped down and Louis had to leave without him.**

**They saw one another again and made up, that unique sense of comfort washing over all of them when they were together. It didn't stay peaceful for long before a place known as Briarville tested their limits again to the max, pushing Louis to breaking point and Harry pulling him back before a crack. Harry lost hair and muscle, gained a severe infection from pressure sores and being a human experiment for a month.**

**When they got out, it was because of Harry's internal switch flipping off. He got them home and together, they healed. Saving Louis and his baby meant killing three people and leaving his friend behind.**

**All settled down before their baby's, Bean, birth. Harry bought them a home and Louis left college to study from there. A traitor came back from Louis' past and an even bigger one from Harry's. It turned out that Louis loved his baby more than he loved himself and had to walk out before she was put in danger.**

**Harry only figured it out too late to fix anything. He came back to an empty home, barren baby nursery, and everything he ever purchased for Louis on their bed. Not having Louis meant crying for the first time in his life.**

**When their baby turned six months, Louis forgot the birthday candles so he popped by the nearest supermarket to get some. A rack fell and he shifted to move on but that cologne was undeniable and he found himself meeting the only romantic love of his life for the first time all over again.**

**His arm extends in front of him with lightning speed. "Hello. I'm Harry. Harry Styles."**

****Louis William Tomlinson-Styles: born December 24th, 1995.** **

****_[A/N: The short version above does not to justice to the original story but I promised myself I'd put it here anyway. - S xx]_ ** **

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"A traditional birthing is....extremely difficult." Louis is still on bed rest when the Council paid their nest a visit. 

Harry was most displeased with their appearance and stood defensively at the foot of the bed with his arms crossed. Louis was hardly visible to the elders and their pups were treated no differently. Edward sat with Louis leaning against him, an arm around the Omega.   
Since the arrival of their pups, he's had a leaning towards his primal mentality and set about trying not to tear apart anyone who got to his family. His inner Alpha has taken full control of his mind and senses. 

"Especially today when the gene strength of our kind has weakened." The woman with greying hair and wrinkles at her eyebrows said. "How did you manage it?"

Marcel was at the crib where their babies were sleeping so wonderfully. They could wake up at any moment now to be fed and he was most excited about it but these _invaders_ were taking up their time. 

"Simply." Harry didn't move a muscle except to speak, his discontent shining through with the monotonous manner he held. 

Louis decided to step in before his Alphas got them evicted and they had to raise their babies in a cave. "It wasn't without difficulty."

"I would imagine." The female Council member tutted. "We wish you the best for the extension of your family. May these new additions to the family line be as strong as their fathers and gracious as you are, Louis."

Nodding with a tired but still sweet smile from his side, Louis happens to glance at the frame by the door and it serves as enough of a reminder that their family needs to be alone for a while. The Council members leave, hesitancy evident as they stroll towards the door, and Harry slams the door behind them. 

Everybody releases a heavy sigh once they're gone, but Louis giggles and rolls his eyes. 

The crying started approximately twenty minutes into Louis' nap. Tearing through the peace of his light slumber, the awful calls of his babies for him wakes the Omega up immediately. He's not so groggy when he pulls himself upright in Edward's Alpha paws. His mate had been guarding him silently as he slept with the colour of liquid onyx taking over the green in his eyes, signalling that he's lost to his inner wolf. 

Marcel, being the big bear he becomes around his babies, is hovering around their bassinet to either help them relax with his scent or just be ready if that didn't work. He's not very sure. Harry sat on the bed by Louis' legs and he only looked away from the babies when Louis woke up. The Omega hardly had time to be amused by the robotic and neurotic behaviour of his Alphas. 

"Hey, Belle." Louis cooes when his most little baby is handed to him by Marcel. 

She's got blue eyes twice as magnificent as Louis' and they shone so brightly against the pale complexion of her skin. Louis kissed her cheek and smiled at the grab made to his ear. Baby Belle latched on after a struggle and with bleary vision, Louis persevered until she was eating happily. Her minute palm rested on his chest but her eyes were mostly on him. 

Edward was silent. He didn't want to get in the way except when danger was present because then his mate and pups would need him. He keeps his hands on the scar Louis' formed giving birth to their pups and watches over the Omega's shoulders as his tiniest baby suckles gently. 

The triplets had impeccable timing already. They all cried together and Louis had winced at their high pitch before Edward made a menial effort at covering his ears. 

"I'm fine, Alpha." Louis knew he couldn't coax Edward out of this phase so he had to let it run its course.

Bellamy stops feeding and she yawns, ignoring the horrible shrieks from all her siblings. She's content in her mommy's arms. Her big and bright eyes slide shut as sleep threatens to overtake her but Louis can't let that happen. He begs Marcel and Harry to do something about the crying as he burps Bellamy over his shoulder. 

The cries only soften but are far from fully extinguished. Bellamy manages to spit on Edward's shirt from his close proximity to them and the awed look in his eye as he watched her. Edward removed the shirt and offered it to his daughter like she'd have the slightest clue what it was.   
Her eyes had fully closed at this point, but not without her perfect baby fist clamping down on her father's shirt. Louis set her down on the bed close to where his legs were crossed and she took the item of clothing with her. 

Theo and Catherine came next, because Alexander was a well-behaved baby and understood - much like Marcel - that his mother was busy. He still wanted food and that fuelled his loud sniffles as Marcel walked around the room with him. 

Louis held Catherine with his right arm and Harry handed him Theo after their daughter was nursing already. The Omega breathed a long exhale of relief and Edward welcomed him when he leaned back against his broad Alpha chest. That _is_ why he's here. Edward kisses the mark he left on Louis' neck and observes intently as his baby girl feeds. 

Catherine has deep and spell-binding green eyes, as did all the triplets. Their skin was page white whereas Belle had a light tan from Louis. They still got Louis' button nose along with the tiny spattering of freckles. Already, Louis learns that Catherine likes to hold someone's finger while she eats and Theo is only calm after he's kissed the baby's tummy. 

Edward holds his daughter's hand with his thumb and stares at the way her eyes seem to be melting. Harry is mindful of Bellamy as her sleeping form when he shuffles closer to Theo, rubbing his son's tummy with his whole hand. 

Catherine releases her mother once she's done feeding and makes a bubble between her lips that Harry feels the need to kiss and pop. The baby girl squirms in Louis' arm and the Alpha takes over to burp her. Edward makes a sad sound when she's gone. 

"Don't worry, Alpha." Louis kisses his jawline and Edward's head snaps in his direction. "She'll be back."

Edward is examining Louis' lips and testing internally the urge to kiss his precious mate. He licks his lips involuntarily and when he lowers his mouth, Louis giggles and turns away. How rude. 

When Theo is finished and happily wriggling against Louis' over-sensitive nipple, the Omega lifts him up and whispers sweet reminders to his baby as he burps him onto a rag. The mission is clean and successful. He puts Theo down next to but a distance away from Bellamy because he's so much stronger than her. 

His teeny little nose scrunches up at being such a measurement away from his female sibling. Louis takes a chance and brings Theo closer to her, going on his maternal instinct solely regarding his wonderful pups. He knows any problem of theirs by just _knowing._

Edward still wants that kiss he was denied. Louis reaches for Alexander and the Alpha tilts his chin to the side, connecting their lips for the briefest moment. He too knows that Louis is a very busy mommy. 

Alexander settles down the second he's in Louis' warm embrace. His chubby arm twitches for any amount of times that he tries to reach for something of his mother's belonging but the Omega kisses his nose and encourages him to eat instead. Being near his parent is all this midget wants and he evades the milk even if it's what his tummy wants. Louis has to bring his face close to Alexander's, and nudge the baby's cheek with it in the softest manner as he would in wolf form to his pups. 

It takes three consecutive nudges to get Alex to give in. With a whimper from the infant and three sets of unrelenting eyes, tiny pouted lips wrap around Louis' right nipple. He nurses for a short while before just stopping. 

Obviously, Louis panics. He knows Alexander is not full because his siblings took so much longer to eat. He tests himself by pressing the swollen area of his upper torso, frowning when no milk dribbles out. Switching Alex over to the other side, he is met with the same result after his pup feeding for twenty seconds at most. 

"Something is wrong." Louis cradles Alexander in his hands, hiding the baby under his chin. 

Alex doesn't cry from the lack of food or squeal and squirm. He grips Louis' flimsy shirt and watches the eyes of Edward squint at him. 

"Get Meesa." Someone says. Louis doesn't care who. 

He focuses on his angel of a baby who isn't following nature's biology and remaining silent. His baby was obviously hungry but made distracted by whatever was in his head at the moment. It's damn near impossible for a newborn to do that, and Louis will not allow Alex to rest - or rest himself - without feeding him. The Omega peppers the baby's shoulders and arms with lots of kisses and gentle touches. He's horrified at his inability to feed all his pups and he'd personally do _anything_ to bring food to his babies. They're his whole world. 

Alexander starts to babble without sound because at last the hunger pangs are getting to him. Harry is gone out to get the doctor and Marcel has been pulling on his hair for three minutes now. 

"Shh, my little angel." He let's Alex grab the collar of his shirt and on the verge of crying, flail the other arm about. "Don't cry, love."

The door opens and Dr. Meesa walks in ahead of Harry with an expression of worry and sympathy. Louis tries not to cry himself when he explains it to her in short sentences. 

"I-I don't know why. I don't have enough milk." He rubs the underside of Alex's clothed foot and Marcel is there, offering the comfort of a father when he's just as troubled and twice as inexperienced. 

"That's alright. We can fix that." She reassures him. "This happens often. All you need to do it eat so your body can produce the milk. Protein works best so I'll have someone bring you that."

"How long does he have to wait?" Harry asks, pinching his bottom lip between his thumb and forefinger. 

Louis can't stand the thought of eating when his baby can't. It rots his heart and makes his eyes sting at the crevices with tears. 

"A minute at the most. Trust me." She's already tying her hair back and leaving the room. 

The impatient and troubled Omega does not allow any of his mates to hold baby Alex. He will take care of his baby all by himself. This is his duty, his _pride and joy._

"Is he still fussy?" Marcel tries to get a peek of his newborn angel while Louis is rocking him with his lips at the baby's ear. 

"Getting there." Louis replies with an unstable voice in a low, scared tone. 

Alex becomes more restless and with three other babies asleep so close to them, Louis can't imagine the fiesta that will break out if they all woke up. He ignores the protest from Marcel and growls of his other Alphas when he slides off the bed and walks to the tiny empty closet. 

"What are you-" Harry barging in is stopped when Louis puts a finger to his lips. "You can't be moving around like this."

"I'm fine. My baby needs me." Louis tucks his face into the junction of Alex's neck. 

"He does." Harry rests his hands on Louis' tense shoulders. "He needs-"

"Where's _Krasa_?" Dr. Meesa is back and Louis supports Alex with both hands as he steps out of the cramped space. 

"They've got to stop calling me that." He tells Harry on his way out.

Harry shrugs and leads Louis out with a hand on the small of his back. He liked the title of authority and status. It was a well-earned one and there'd be more trouble from him if they stopped. 

Louis doesn't put Alexander down while he eats. The baby kicks up the start of wailing but Louis will say something soothing in his ear and the noise would be reduced to whines and sniffling. It was an absolute miracle. 

"Most new parents have Hell for times like these." Dr. Meesa finds herself relaxing as well when a minute or two passes from Louis' first bite. 

Marcel was feeding Louis chicken breast. It was perfectly cooked with no spices or sides so he's left to eat regular, bland chicken. Louis' never tasted anything so delicious. He feels the milk being produced as he eats and his chest swells up again. It's a slow process however and he has Alexander circling his reddened nipple after five minutes. 

"Is he eating?" Harry asked him, just having closed the door on Dr. Meesa's back. 

"Yes." Louis replies, cradling the back of Alexander's head with his hand. "He's such a patient baby." 

Edward waits for Louis to return to his rightful place in his arms. For now, he watches over the babies sleeping on the mattress. Catherine is an independent baby. She lies on her back with her little limbs spread out and sneezes when Edward touches her foot. He recoils immediately, not wanting to harm her. 

Bellamy - the sweetheart cupcake - is on her front with her onesie a little creased at her left sleeve. Edward would come to the rescue and flatten it, but Theo is crowding her in with a bigger arm than hers over her back. He's the protective brother. 

"All done, little mister?" Louis asks when Alexander begins to resist being fed anymore. 

To answer, the baby blinks tiredly and Louis burps him before those heavy eyelids close for a long while.

  
* * * * *  


"I want to hold my baby boy. Give me my son back." Louis tells Marcel from where he's cross-legged on their plush maroon couch, back in their home wing. 

He's got a gel ice pack strapped to his sensitive mid-region since it's been two days ago that he _just gave birth_. His attempt at keeping Alexander calm by working himself up left the wound sufficiently more tender than usual. 

The pups were fussy to say the least, and took after their fathers immensely when it came to feeding. Each one wanted the most of their mommy's attention - even Alex opted to roll around and whimper so he could go first - but Louis never gave in to their adorable schemes. 

"But I want to hold him." Marcel is holding the infant against his shoulder, Alex is sleeping peacefully on the Alpha's muscle. 

Harry took Theo and sat on the bed in nothing but boxers to watch his pup sleeping on his front with a black blanket covering him. Edward was asleep on his side, his body curved a little from hip to knee as he circled the two sleeping babies. 

Bellamy is who Theo was very protective of, as if he knew the smallest of their clan needed his guiding hand and safety. He would share the same tiny crib as her or not sleep at all. He just had to. Bellamy was as endeared by her brother's protective nature as their mother way. Louis loved watching his pups interact for the very few hours they were awake. 

"You haven't eaten since lunch yesterday." Louis held his hands out with grabby fingers. He's already got space for Alex next to a sleeping Catherine on his lap. 

"I'm not hungry." Marcel picks up a light blue blanket from an unorganised drawer and drapes it around Alex. 

"I don't care." Louis eventually gets Alex handed over and the baby complains for a short moment by squirming and his little nose scrunching up so he looks remarkably like Marcel frowning. "Hello, sweetie."

Alex fusses until Louis' calming voice whispers how much he's loved in his tiny ear and all is well again. The baby is set next to his sister in the cushioned mobile bassinet that rests on Louis' lap more often than not. 

"Go eat something." Louis tells his stubborn Alpha mate. 

"Alright." Marcel finally surrendered and made his way to the grand closet they shared to throw on suitable clothing. 

"Hello to you too." Louis giggles when baby Alex holds onto his thumb and moves it around with baby strength. 

Alex is like Edward in the way that he is more animal than boy sometimes. He won't ever eat until Louis bumps his cheek with a good-natured motherly encouragement. The pup was well-behaved like Marcel and only cried once since after his first cry. After he falls into a fitful rest, Louis looks for Harry. 

He's about to call for him but the Alpha seems to just _know_ in recent events when his mate needed him. He got up from the bed and made his way over to Louis as a vision of every Omega's mate. Lean body and carved muscle physique. Dark green eyes and shoulder-length hair of melted chocolate. 

"Leave her in her bassinet please." Louis tells him as Harry picks Catherine's sleeping form up. "She can't sleep for long out of it."

Harry knew this. He was aware of every detail that concerned his babies, but he let's Louis remind him because he _also knew_ that just making sure was enough to put his Omega's mind at ease. 

"Will do, my sweet." Harry placed a gentle kiss on Louis' Adam's Apple over the scarred tissue of his mating mark. 

Marcel leaves their room in joggers and shirtless, dropping a kiss on Louis' cheek before rushing to get food from the kitchen so he could return. Harry leaves Catherine in her bassinet that's placed - along with her siblings' - in the master bedroom. Louis set Alex down in his own mini bed and left the other two under the safety of Edward's nest. 

"Sit." Harry placed himself on a sofa by the fire place, motioning for Louis to join him. 

His mate wiggles his way to a comfortable position on Harry's lap, sighing contentedly and nuzzling the Alpha's neck for where his scent was strongest. Harry chuckled and embraced his Omega, his bleeding heart making space for the large strip of hope. 

"You're going to have to stop doing that." Harry groans when Louis squirms a little too noticeably across his crotch. 

"I'm comfy now. Sorry." Louis wrapped his arms around Harry's neck and curled his toes between Harry's legs. 

"Sweet?" Harry turned his face away from the fire roaring behind a transparent shutter and nipped at Louis' neck. 

"Yes?" 

Harry's chest created a coarse vibration of growls. He bit Louis' neck a little harder and kissed it after, satisfied with the red mark he left behind. "Go to sleep."

Louis laughed, all crinkly-eyed and sparkles of humour. "You're making me a chew toy but you want me to sleep?"

The Alpha grumbled something and blocked out the world in the hideout of Louis' neck. The boy smelt of honey and milk - _his_ milk that the Alphas are forbidden from drinking - and jasmine. Harry could spent forever drinking in and consuming the taste but never make a dent in how exceptionally enchanting Louis is. 

Harry gives his mate another bite on his wrist. He was lacing their fingers together to make a strong unit, but couldn't resist the daintiness of it. His teeth left indents in the form of an invisible bracelet on Louis' skin, which makes Louis giggle and demand a kiss. 

"Kiss me." Louis had a side of Harry's face framed with his small hand, their noses bumping and lips brushing. 

Their eyes met and the reflection of orange flames existed in both mirrors. Harry leaned forward, starved and desperate, to taste his mate. The kiss turned breathless when Louis turned to straddle Harry, his fingers knotting Harry's hair. Harry's hands roamed his body on a mission of an unknown aim, skimming Louis' hips and thighs. Louis' tongue was shy and made Harry draw it into his mouth, conveniently stealing his breath, and sucked on the muscle until Louis pushed him away. 

"Cuddle me." Louis has swollen lips and damp eyes but it's Harry who still has his lips parted in the kiss. 

The Omega settles into Harry's arms again and closes his eyes. Harry gives him a harmless squeeze and forehead kiss. Louis whines when it doesn't stop there and soon Harry has a dozen kisses on his shoulder and arm. The Alpha mate is forced to stop when Louis pulls a quilt over him as protection and his blue-turned-grey eyes twinkle up at him. 

Harry ripped the covering away. He was perfectly capable of keeping his mate warm. " _Nothing_ will keep you from me."

  
* * * * *  


Louis slept for a full hour before one of the pups needed help getting changed into a clean diaper. Marcel jumped at the opportunity to let his darling mate sleep some more while he lived up to Daddy expectations. Edward was relieved of his responsibility of watching the babies - he was gutted - so that Louis was put under his arm - he quickly redeemed himself. 

An Alpha with no sense of humanity is a damn dangerous one but Edward had the pure traces of bonding and courtship to remind him that above everything in the world, came his nest. In this mindset he was prepared to protect his Omega and puppies from anything. 

Edward held Louis close to his chest and gave up his half of the comforter to cover Louis with it twice. He kissed Louis' nose and his bond mark. 

"Bath time." Marcel swallowed his yawn, which Harry noticed and frowned at. 

Theo was awake and looking at everything, taking it all in. Bellamy was asleep at his side and he refused to move without her. Harry couldn't wake the baby girl up just so Theo could be bathed so he waited while Marcel washed Catherine and Alex separately in a foam bath. 

"Ready now?" He questioned his offspring when Theo allowed Bellamy to move enough, signalling her consciousness. 

Bellamy blinked in the exact same way that Louis does when he first wakes up. Pouty lips and wrinkled nose. Harry has to carry Theo against his shoulder and Bellamy - the angel - is small enough to fit against his forearm. He takes some time to bathe his son because he wants his own youngest sibling to finally get some rest. 

"You're so possessive, Theodore." Harry notes how his son keeps looking at the blanketed basket-like crib where Bellamy was awaiting her turn. "Why?"

His baby boy doesn't answer and wriggles, squirms and flails his arms against his father's. 

"Behave." He sighed, lifting Theo up and draping him in a towel that crowned his perfectly round head. 

Baby Theo is just like his father. Already he displays signs of being stubbornly obsessive and doesn't take kindly to being separated from things he needs. 

"That's a little frightening, don't you think?" Marcel is rubbing his eyes with the ball of his right palm. 

"What?" Harry dabs Bellamy's body after her bath and starts the process of dressing. Theo keeps his eyes on Harry and her, but doesn't try to move in their direction. 

"His tendency to stick with her." Marcel replies tiredly, lifting Theo up into his arms. "You were the same way."

"How would you know, Marcy?"

"Mother told me." The younger Alpha's voice softens gradually. "She said you never let Edward or I out of your sight even in your first year of life."

Harry doesn't know what to say to that. He never asked his late parents about what his childhood was like, and learning from Marcel is intriguing news. "Why?"

Marcel shrugs and walks with him out of the bathroom, keeping the light on in there for when Louis wakes up. "Remember that we share a mate and a nest now."

Harry stops in his tracks. "You're saying-"

"They're definitely too young to have the instincts of courting." Marcel interrupts, eyes studying the evolving expression on his brother's face. "It is very likely though."

The former _Alfa_ blows out a loud breath of air, raking his crooked fingers through his hair. He looks down at his daughter in his arms - hardly big enough to need the support of both - and finds her looking up at him. Her large, naïve eyes still seem to pick up some vibe from him and when he looks her way, she reaches up for him. 

He ducks down and let's her delicate hand land on his eye, closing it just in time. 

"We have years left to worry about that." Harry dismisses the topic in his head. 

When Harry puts Bellamy in her own section of the crib, she starts to cry and he can't comfort her with Edward's shirt. After the absent Alpha gave it to her, their daughter didn't let it go except for bath time. Louis managed to get it washed once and that was it. 

"Alright, little princess." He picks her up and puts her back on the Louis-approved baby mattress she will share with her big brother. 

"Truthfully, I think it's sweet." Marcel supplies as he lays Theo down and covers them with a soft blanket. It's easily removable because their pups tend to hate blankets. 

"It might be, when they're old enough to understand what it means." Harry steps back, his spine throbbing with the stresses of the past two days. 

Marcel props his arm up on Harry's shoulder "You weren't aware either, big brother."

Harry turns his head towards him. "If I had known-"

"Oh shut it. You'd still have done all of it." 

Frowning in misconceived confusion - did he miss something? - Harry follows his youngest brother to their bed. "What?"

"You're the biggest cuddle-lover I know." The other male explains with a range of hand gestures. "You just don't know how to cuddle."

"This is not about cuddles." 

"Well no, but if you had known what you were doing back then you'd still have done it. You love this nest with all of that heart you try hiding."

Harry rolls his eyes and strips down to his briefs, while Marcel kept his pants on. "We didn't _have_ a nest when we were a year old, Marcel."

"You love _every component_ of this nest." Marcel sighs at his silly brother, facing towards him when they got into bed. "Alpha, Omega and pup."

Harry didn't really have anything to argue that statement with. 

**_[A/N: This story is ending in the next chapter :((((( If u wanna hate: IG: sumans98 Twitter: SSTomlinson Tumblr: iamnoteternal - S xx]_ **


	23. Epilogue.

**_[A/N: If you've been around for as long as I have (haha) join me in mourning the end of another book. Kudos to those of yee who noticed that the story in the previous chapter was Animal - the work I'm a teeny bit more proud of than everything else. This is the final chapter, aka Epilogue, of GNA. I will give a warning for this chapter because it's a very sensitive matter and the demographics on this story show that people of all age groups read this story. Trigger Warning: Gruesome Miscarriage. - S xx]_ **

"I can't find him." Marcel was stressing, always stressing. He walks from the wall on the extreme left with a hanging photograph to the extreme right where an oil painting of the exact same image hung. _What?_

Edward frowned for less than a second because there were more pressing matters that required his utmost attention. _Louis was missing._  

"Where did you see him last?" Harry is biting his thumb nail and trying to keep Theo from doing the same. 

Their puppies were sad and lonely without their mother. They had grown so attached over their single year of life that in the hour Louis wasn't around, none of the little munchkins dared to eat or cry. Theo held his father and nobody else. Bellamy has been put down for a nap but she can't seem to close her eyes. Catherine is screeching horrifically non-stop and Alexander is calmly ignoring everything. 

"I-I don't-" 

"Don't say you don't fucking remember!" Harry barked at Edward, who tried his hardest not to cower away at the vile tone of his older brother. 

"He's probably in the courtyard." Marcel is reassuring himself, shaking his head and mumbling to himself. "He does that sometimes."

"No he doesn't fucking abandon his family to _take a stroll_ , Marcel." Harry seethed with the pits amber that have overcome his eyes burning through the whites of his eyes. 

"I'll go look." Edward has to get out of here. He doesn't want to leave his babies with his psychotic brothers who are slowing but surely tipping over the cliff of sanity, but he misses his mate. 

Their sweet Louis. Where was he?

Edward had made it out of their home - the furthest wing from any family communal rooms. The plush deep purple carpet stretched on for centuries, and then miles upon that when Edward got to the end of it. He started to jog and knows that he's not got any shoes on, but there's no rough texture against him when he eventually leaves the carpet and gets to the outside.

It's snowing and he doesn't know why. It never snows here, as Amber had assured him because of their tropical climate. He keeps on going though, because he's experienced the worst of blizzards and snows in Nova Scotia. 

The trees look too familiar, like they belong somewhere Edward has been for years prior now. He's back home, in the Scotia, where he was born and he took Louis home with his brothers. The woods are the same and the tree trunks are too thin. No squirrels, but fluffy rabbits with red eyes. Deer roamed and wolves chased. 

Something was _wrong_. 

Why were there deers and wolves in this part of the world? Is he really back home? Is this an illusion? 

He picks up Louis' scent in the air and follows it the way a starved and burning Alpha would chase after the smell of their mate. His feet stumble as the cold of the snow sets into his bare feet. His fingernails start to bleed when he grabs the harsh bark of trees to keep from stumbling. 

The scent of Louis gets stronger the deeper he gets and the more trees start blocking his perfect sight. Except he can feel that there's something happening and the cherry bush ahead of him is block the view. He can hear noises, soft and hurt little whines. The air breathed out by the creature making those sounds add fuel to the scent intoxicating Edward's senses and he ploughs forward past the obstruction. 

Snow seems to have fallen mostly in this tiny clearing because there's a blanket of snow that Edward's feet sink into with each step forward he takes. The small field has something for his attention in the centre, rather _someone_.

Edward lunges forward when he recognises the skin and beating heart. Louis lay there, pressing into the snow with his legs bent and slightly spread. His one arm placed over the scar left behind by the birth of his babies, and the other was gripping something minute in his fist. Edward digs into the snow to keep Louis hoisted and the feeling in his chest stubbornly sticks to his heart. 

"Lou?!" He tries waking up his unconscious mate, framing Louis' cold face and denying it all. "Wake up, love! Don't leave me, dove."

Louis doesn't wake up. He stays frozen and part of the ground even when Edward hauls him onto his lap with tears blurring his vision. The Alpha wants to protect his mate even now when he can't. He hates himself, wants to cut open his chest and give any amount of his livelihood to this boy. 

He howls into the air and knows his brothers will come running soon enough. 

The time he has left, he utilises to gather the Omega in his arms and rock him back and forth. He can still smell Louis, cold as ice but sweet as any dream. His attention is drawn to Louis' clenched fist when it falls lifelessly to the ground, fingers delivering their last twitch. 

He opens the small hand and feels the warmth draining away. His fingers meet with moisture and he blinks away the stinging tears welling in his eyes to look closer. 

"Oh." He starts a fresh wave of sobs. "Oh no, Lou."

 In Louis' hand was concealing an object the size of a big bean, soft to squeeze and made of tiny blood vessels. Blood oozed out of the figure and wet Louis' hand with blood that reached the snow for several layers down. At last Edward feels his shirt get damp and looks down to the Omega's abdomen and finds it slit open across the birth scar. 

_Louis was pregnant._ He was pregnant and he lost the baby in such an awful way. 

Edward got his brothers' scents and looked up to tell them what he knew, but it wasn't them. There was a giant black shadow with no face hovering before him, taking a beat before closing in.

  
*   *   *   *   *  


Eyes flying open and the stretch of dry skin at the corners hurt Edward as he bolts awake with a sheen of sweat like dew drops on his chest and torso. He swallows the sand paper trance his mouth and throat have fallen prey to. 

_Louis._

He searches for Louis with a steady crescendo of his growl present in his chest, burning up like bubbles of lava. He's on a bed and Louis is at his side, sleeping snuggled under his arm no different than before. Edward settles down when he's certain it's just a dream - a nightmare - and ropes both arms around his dozing Omega, whining involuntarily into the boy's hair. He begs Louis' scent to wash over him and make him forget the awful memories. 

"It's alright, Alpha." Louis' voice makes him reopen his screwed eyelids. 

Edward finds Louis looking up at him, a hand on his chest over the rapid beat of his heart and the other caressing his tense jaw. Edward's inner Alpha whimpers. 

"Shh." Louis lowers his voice like he's talking to one of his babies, and hugs Edward tightly. "Bad dream?"

Edward's fingers dig on their own accord into Louis' spine, wrapping Louis around him so there's nowhere to go. Louis comes to understand that Edward is not willing to talk and he nudges the Alpha's cheek to bother him. His mate growls protectively when Louis whines for attention, blunt but still effective in re-scenting Louis' mating mark. 

"Oh my lovely Alpha." Louis hitched his thigh up over Edward's waist, clinging to him as tightly as possible. 

Edward's hand reaches as far down as Louis' behind, cupping the firm shape of it and pressing their chests together. Louis didn't get to resist because of the irritable sensitive state of his nipples, the extremely bitter discomfort of his upper torso. 

"Safe." Edward mumbles into Louis' ear, nuzzling the cotton soft skin just before the curve of his skull bone, sucking on it. 

"Very safe." Giggling, Louis tries to reassure and relax his Alpha mate by asserting his presence. 

His hidden Omega nature that's been overcome by his motherly instincts, flares to life when Edward or any of his mates becomes this way. He uses his thumbs to rub the lobes and pinna's of Edward's ears, smiling when it got the Alpha soothed.

Louis took him on a short expedition to the kitchen for a midnight snack after declaring that the Alpha hadn't eaten. He makes French toast on the stove with Edward following him around unrelentingly, some part of him always attached to Louis'. 

They sat at different corners of the kitchen island, under the dim lighting of a single low-hanging globe. Louis eventually gave up when Edward didn't touch his food, and took to feeding the helpless Alpha. Edward was greatly pleased to find his delectable Omega - mother to his children - in his lap and offering him food. 

"My fifth pup, you are." Louis rolled his eyes, Edward marvelling at this creature's beauty.  

  
*   *   *   *   *  


"Harry. Wake up." Edward grabbed Harry's shoulder in his sleep and yanked the joint harshly. 

The previously asleep Alpha makes a threatening noise as he almost falls to the ground. Edward glares down at him, slipped out of his primitive stages temporarily by the stress of something more dangerous. He doesn't let Harry speak and drags him out of the room with him. 

"You seem to be looking for another injury." Harry snarls, freeing himself from Edward when they're outside in the neglected back garden of this home. "What the _fuck_ -"

"You did something." Edward had glowing eyes and they stood out like cat eyes in the dead of night. "You did something _foolish_ and-"

"What did I do, brother?" Harry made no move when Edward stepped into his personal space.  

"When you brought me back." Edward swallowed the lump of regret and resentment that blossomed in his throat. "You used something unnatural."

"Everything we do, what we are is unnatural."

"I had a dream that Louis miscarried." Edward stared into the crumbling confidence of his sibling's pride. "He miscarried alone in a forest and he died with the....the _tiny_ foetus of our baby in his hand, Harry."

Harry was expressionless for a long time, no words and sounds leaving him except the frost of his breath. He was illuminated by the moon and it made him look ghastly from within. 

"Fuck." Is all he said when he finally opened his mouth, running his hand through his hair from root to tip. "Fuck!"

"What did you do?!"

"I...-" Harry had no other choice than to confess to his brother in order to get help squashing this dilemma. "Come with me."

Midnight struck when they made it through the thickest spot of the only forest in these lands, thinner and easier to navigate than the woods of Nova Scotia. Harry easily got Edward and himself up the first hill he spotted to the collection of rocks and boulders at the peak. 

"Why are we up here?" Edward was still wearing his sleep wear, as was Harry. The night was cold and vicious on the average person's skin but they'd battle it out for a time longer. 

"Be quiet." Harry had his eyes set on something that was moving between the ledge of the biggest boulder and the crease of a jagged stone below. 

Edward doesn't identify the poor animal before Harry has it in his hand. The berry-eating herbivores is some cross breed between a squirrel and racoon, with claws but chubby cheeks. Harry snaps its neck and it falls limp in his hand. 

"Watch." He narrows his eyes at his accomplice, who looks about to start an argument. 

Harry lays the dead creature out on the rock's face, sucking his bottom lip between his teeth and closing his eyes for a short moment. When they open, they're wetter and filled with a foreign emotion. Edward opens his mouth to shout that this is futile, but the wind picks up and the shadow of his nightmares appears at the opposite side of the rock. 

Edward startles and he is on the tightrope between surging forward and stumbling back. He's as certain as there is hair on his head, that he looks astounded to a high degree with wide eyes and a gaping jaw. 

_"You need me to bring back a worthless vermin?"_

Harry looks so unaffected by the voice of a shadow with no means to speak, yet Edward can hear the sprint of his pulse in his ears. 

"Magic." Edward mutters out loud. 

The shadow has no face, no expression and no emotion. It still turns towards Edward and makes a terrible hissing sound.

_"I know who you are!"_

"You told me-" Harry raises the volume of his voice. "-that you would take a life from me, in exchange for his life."

The shadow settles into a wobbling presence no closer to them than when it arrived. Edward stands behind his brother but mostly exposed and vulnerable to its danger. 

"Whose life will it be?"

_"I am not evil, Harry Styles. My magic, however, is. It requires a life to give life."_

Harry has his fists clenched at his side and Edward notices how white his knuckles become. His anger is boiling. 

_"You cannot kill me and stop me from taking any life that I should so desire. You both fear for your mate? Your brother? Your four newborns? I will not harm them for you have already repaid the debt of the life you owed me."_

Edward looks to his brother for an explanation. Why did he have such a threatening dream if this is settled then? The shadow floated closer to Harry and when it reached out to touch Harry's cheek with ashen fingers, the latter didn't make a move.

_"For your life, I took your mother's. For your brother's life, I took your mate's father's life."_

  
*   *   *   *   *  


"My babies need some time outside." Louis told Harry. He was sitting on their gigantic bed Harry was roaming around the closet. "They've been cooped up for so long."

"It's really not ideal conditions for them to be outside, my sweet." Harry defended his belief that taking the pups outside would be hazardous. 

Louis sighed and made grabby hands at Harry when the Alpha surfaced from their wardrobe innards, stubbornly donning nothing but sweat pants. "We'll only go to the courtyard, love."

"No." Harry laid himself down over Louis' body, effectively nailing the Omega to the mattress. 

Marcel and Edward were watching the babies, who had all just turned seven months old and were ready to crawl around outside. Everyone but Harry was for a family mini picnic outside. Louis has been to the balcony and that's it, his puppies not allowing for him to wander further or they'd kick up a fuss. 

"Yes." Louis twirled one of Harry's curls between his fingers. 

Harry growled, a high-pitched whine at the end. He sounded wounded and unhappy. "No."

"I'll strike a bargain."

Interest inflating, Harry's rumble turned midway into a curious sound. "I'm listening."

Louis shuffled against the body pressing into him and the bed until he was able to circle Harry's neck with both his arms. He pulled Harry down to rest their foreheads together and returned a kiss when his Alpha offered him one. It got a little distracting when Harry peeled Louis' upper lip to the side and invaded his mouth with the push-and-pull of his tongue. 

"Take us out-" Louis withdrew and his hot breath fanned over Harry's recently moistened lips. "-and I will agree to any one thing you want to do."

Harry's mismatched orbs of coal and forestry darted everywhere. He looked immensely excited. "Let me fuck you in our wolf forms."

"Deal, Alpha."

It wasn't a troublesome task getting the youngest of their nest ready, but Marcel was a little picky. Louis didn't have to dress the babies in anything more than nappies because they'd be switching forms as a family once they were outdoors. 

"What's the matter?" Louis walked into the bathroom after leaving Edward in charge of keeping Catherine from crying. 

Marcel was the first to speak. "Harry said we're hunting."

Louis looks at the eldest triplet, smug giant that he is, leaning against the glossy mirror with a smirk. "We're not hunting."

Harry laughs when Marcel throws a toothbrush at him. Louis ruffles up his own hair and walks out before anything else that needs his mediation occurs.

"Ready, munchkins?" Louis picks Alexander up and kisses the baby's cheek. 

Catherine reaches up for him with her teeny hand and Louis pretends to bite her thumb, which makes his daughter squeal with laughter and the Alpha father holding her check on that hand. 

The courtyard is splendidly abandoned by every other Styles living on the property and Louis chooses a spot near a line of trees to sit. The sun rested high in the sky and allowed for some shade in that region. Louis set Theo down on his baby blanket and turned him over on his front, kneeling right next to him. 

Edward sat himself down cross-legged, waiting for the moment when he's allowed to transform. He knows he has to wait for all the pups to be done first. Harry walks with Bellamy to the water fountain and back, admiring his baby girl's laughter when she got to touch the spilling water. 

Theo made indecipherable babbling noises at his mother, Louis supporting his waist and whispering encouragement. It's a painful experience if they don't get used to it now. Most packs didn't teach their offspring to change until they were of age, but Louis feared he'd kill himself if he sat with his teenage children while they cried over pain. 

Theo's change was easy because Harry guided him along, changing himself piece by piece and masking the hurt to tutor his son. Bellamy was next and she seemed to not realise that she had done it, making Louis clap to congratulate her. 

"Come on, baby Alex." Louis looked at Marcel, who got off the ground and swiftly made the switch from man to wolf, shortly followed by his son. 

The three changed puppies recognised their mother and hovered around him, understanding that they were in a different state and should protect their mommy. Edward watched in awe and Harry laid himself out on the grass. 

"Good girl." Louis kissed Catherine's furry back after she turned. 

Being wolf pups, all four babies loved to play. Theo found it easiest to stand on his four legs while Bellamy had the hardest time. After Louis changed, he monitored his pups as they rolled around near him. He butted Catherine's bum when she stayed behind and the latter turned around shakily to hide herself under Louis' head. 

Edward changed last and placed himself next to Louis, Harry opposite the Omega and Marcel beside him. The pups played between them, never straying from their parents. 

Alexander spotted something in the grass and lunged at it, tumbling into the weeds and yapping defeatedly. He retreated to Marcel's company. His father licked the space between his ears when Alex bit his bigger ear. Harry was watching Louis so intently, admiring the Omega's attentive stance as he looked after their little ones. 

Harry stood up for some reason or the other and four baby wolves crowded him, wanting to follow their scariest father's ways. He huffed and bumped Theo onward to keep from tripping himself, at the same time that Catherine tries getting up on her hind legs. He almost falls when he tries to not hurt him puppies, and has to pick up the mischievous ones with his mouth to move. 

Louis fits himself against Marcel, feeling safe and secure with his Alpha breathing deeply against him. He feels wetness on his tail and discovers the jaws of Alex gnawing on the snow white fur without teeth. Louis lowers his muzzle and gently pushes the pup away, only to cuddle him with the same tail. All his babies want the same attention when they see their brother peeking out from behind their mother's tail.  

Catherine crawls up on Louis' back and Theo slides under his leg. Bellamy stands there, swaying on her new feet, not knowing where to go. Louis doesn't have to welcome her because suddenly Edward is lifting her with his jaws and putting her on Marcel's back. 

Louis encourages his pups to spend more time on their feet, making them run and trot. He rests in the shade while they do so, racing and stumbling after their fathers. Alex bites Marcel's ear again and the latter frees himself before picking his son up to walk everywhere with. Edward sits on the lip of the display fountain while Catherine and Bellamy splash about in the shallow water.  

Harry notices when Louis slips onto his side tiredly, closing his eyes just briefly. He knows how tired his lovely mate is and how bloody stubborn he is about sleeping. 

He's about to say something, do something, but Theo is suddenly pouncing on his mother and searching for the source of his milk. Harry steps up and nudges Louis back into resting when the Omega starts to sit up. He positions his son properly with his snout, hearing the whine from Louis when Theo latches on.

  
*   *   *   *   *  


Louis walks into the 'study' Marcel took up for himself a long way from their bedroom. He seats himself on Marcel's lap, being the one person the Alpha will allow a disturbance from - and his babies of course. Marcel greets him with a prolonged kiss and nearly crushing his mate in an embrace for the ages. 

"What's this?" Louis asks about the letter Marcel was reading before he waltzed in. 

"It's for Harry." Marcel sighs, rubbing his temples with his fingers in the way he does when he's worked up. 

"Is it.....dodgy?" Louis replaces Marcel's hands with his own, which instantly leads to Marcel burrowing into Louis' chest in refuge. 

"Very dodgy. We're going to be homeless."

Louis pulls Marcel's hair. "My babies will always have a home, Alpha."

"Where are my darlings?" 

"Playing with Edward." Louis displayed his amusement with the evil glint in his eye. 

" _Alone?_ " 

Edward had returned to his Alpha head space after struggling to put on the act of being entirely capable that night so long ago. Nobody knew about it. It never happened. 

"Alone." Louis nodded. "Last I saw, Cathy was messing up his hair."

Marcel's laughter erupts out of him at the mental image of his brother - stern and scary - getting his hair tangled up by a seven month old pup. It quickly fades out when he remembers their current issue that needs attention. 

"Tell me about the letter." Louis saw that it was written in Czech, and he's not fluent enough to read it correctly. 

"It says....-" Marcel picks up the page again, wrinkled and in two pieces after being burnt on its journey here. "Remember the people who wanted to stay behind when we left Nova Scotia?"

Louis nods, lowering his hands and receiving a kiss on his forehead for taking care of his mate. Marcel brings the letter closer to them and Louis notes the changes in pen, from blue to black, and the faded ink at the end at the sign-off.

"The Rogues got to the wall the second they heard we'd left." Marcel kept his gaze trained on the deplorable page, not wanting to see pain in his mate's expression starting to build. Marcel inhales shakily before continuing. "This is a letter from them saying that the foe wants Harry back there, or they'll light a fire so bright that we'll see it here, the bodies of those we left behind fuelling it."

After an awful silence filled with Marcel hiding his worries in Louis' neck and the latter reciprocating by carding through his hair, Louis decides to be the one to tell Harry. 

"It'll make him angry and upset, pumpkin. He'll be-" 

"He won't do anything to me, Alpha." Louis says convincingly, blue piercing green. "I've seen the best and worst of him."

"I don't want him to go." Marcel doesn't feel selfish in saying. Their family has relocated and their pack moved with them. There's no obligation to go back. 

"He'll make the right decision." Louis knows he can't promise that because his Alpha is hot headed sometimes but he does anyway. 

Harry doesn't make an appearance until dinner. He had to be with his cousin, Lucy, for some top secret outing even Louis couldn't know about. Upon his return just after the sun starts to set, he rushes over to the play pen where his little ones were playing. 

"I missed you." He announces softly to their baby ears, picking Catherine and Bellamy up. 

He kissed their heads and smiled when he was awarded a coloured block by Alexander. The puppy gets a nuzzle - he only likes kisses from his mother - and a small tutorial on how to growl. Alexander pats his father's knee and Catherine crawls back to her kingdom of softies. Bellamy stays with Harry, tucked into his chest and falling asleep. 

Louis chewed his lip with an alarming amount of anxiety. He stood at the door alone after telling Marcel and Edward to leave him alone with Harry for a bit. 

"Hey." Louis thought he sounded like a baby frog. 

"Hello, sweet." Harry sauntered up to him, all limbs and sex appeal, wrapping Louis in his arms. 

"I missed you." Louis rested his cheek against the steady thump of Harry's heart, fidgeting with the top button of Harry's shirt. 

"I missed you." Harry repeated, kind and endearing as he kissed Louis' neck wetly. 

"Can I show you something?" 

Harry's eyebrows flew to his hairline. 

The realisation dawned and Louis gasped, scandalised. "Not that!" 

Harry instantly deflated, but followed his Omega anyway to the room granted to his youngest brother for useless work purposes. Louis pulls him in and shuts the door, Edward and Marcel returning to the bedroom. 

"What's going on, my sweet?" Harry picked up on Louis' vibe suddenly when there was nothing to focus on except the pheromones of his mate and worry lacing those. 

"This." Louis extracts the letter from Marcel's top drawer and hands it to him, crossing his arms over his tummy afterwards. 

Taking the letter impatiently, Harry's hopeful glimmer and relaxed stature simmers into something tense and fuming. Louis can smell the testosterone rising to its highest levels and Harry's rage causing him to rip the part of the letter he held. 

Harry drops the letter once he's finished memorising their contents and rubs his face with both hands. He doesn't look at Louis, brimming with a kind of energy that doesn't easily expire. 

"When did this arrive?" He asks, tight-lipped and cold. 

"Yesterday." Louis answered. 

"We do nothing." Harry's shoulders sag but his facial expression was still riddled with stress. 

Louis watched him approach the window and lean against the small platform in front of it. He looks at the ground. "Okay."

Harry erupts. 

"You are their _Krasa_. Do you think we should act?" His Alpha advances toward him, standing at a frightening height of intimidation but Louis doesn't flinch. 

"They're too far away for us to do anything." Louis replied, searching Harry's eyes for humanity. "This isn't your fault, Harry."

"You agree that I should have.....-" Harry steps around him and clenches his fists. "I should have _made_ them come with us."

"No." Louis shakes his head and steps in Harry's way when the Alpha tries to move again. "This is _not_ your fault."

He knows Harry is internally starting a war that will end in one of his tantrums. He also knows that he couldn't keep this information from his Alpha, Harry deserved to know. 

"I should have-"

"You did everything you could have."

"I have to-"

"They know who you are, Harry. Our pack." Louis frames Harry's face. "They _know_ what a good _Alfa_ you are."

"This would be failing them."

"No it's not." Louis pulls Harry close to him in a hug that the Alpha easily melts into. "It's not your fault and they know that."

Harry's not a sensitive leader. He ruled with brains and pure strategy, but he's never been a helpless one in power before. It's gutwrenching. 

Louis is lifted off the ground, the carpet swept out from under his feet as Harry picks him up by his waist. Harry manages to secure one thigh on his hip, groaning at Louis' surprised sound as he crushed their lips in a uncoordinated kiss. Louis wraps his other leg around Harry and presses his fingers into Harry's hair. 

Marcel thankfully doesn't keep his laptop in here because it would have been cracked by the impact of Harry swiping everything off the table. The Alpha has his eyes squeezed shut and arms straining against the sleeves of his shirt. He slides Louis onto the table in an upright position, teeth sunk in the warm flesh of Louis' throat. 

Louis knows his Alpha and he's aware that letting Harry ravish him will do greatness for his temperament. Harry turns his face into Louis' neck and lowers them both onto the desk's top, bowing between his mate's bent legs and sucking until there are bruises. 

"Gonna take you apart." Harry is already panting, his aura of arousal seeping into Louis' bones. "Piece by piece."

Keening, Louis started to feel the drip of his slick and clench of his unfulfilled body. He breathed shallowly and was in great discomfort from the swollen sensation of having nothing inside him. Harry growled his alluring and transfixed purr that warmed up Louis' chest, leaving them both in a frenzy to strip. 

Harry was in a hurry and it was evident by his act of only stripping off what was necessary. He yanked Louis' comfortable pants down and worshipped the glorious stretch of Louis' thighs, kissing up the quivering masses until he reached the ideal destination. His teeth scraped over Louis' puckered hole, tasting the best and wanting to devour it. 

Louis lifted his hips when Harry moved to loom over him again. The Alpha stretched his forearms out on each side of Louis' head, not wasting time in foreplay. Louis' slick production was in overdrive by the stimulation of his mate merely sniffing and scenting him between his legs, so no prep was needed. 

Pushing inside, Harry didn't stop until his body was sheathed in Louis' and he felt the familiarity of his Omega's walls close around him. He looked ethereal hovering over Louis with his shirt on and a vein in his neck bulging into sight. Louis whined when his prostate was discovered again, brutally rammed into on the first go. 

The table shook and the contents of the drawers rattled as Harry's body rocked Louis'. Their rhythm was desperate and unwavering, Harry's hands at Louis' hips and pounding into him with a one-track mind to get off. He didn't part from his mate or put distance between them, Louis' arms around him and his hips moving against Harry's. 

"I'm not pulling out." Harry warns him before a final thrust that threatened to be deep enough to hurt. 

Louis screamed and came harder than he expected to, painting their chests white and throwing his head back when Harry's knot inflated. He hasn't felt this connection to his Alpha in a sinfully long time, and he revels in it now. 

"Thank you." Harry pulled Louis with him to the floor, cradling his mate on his lap. 

Louis is aware that Harry isn't referring to the mind blowing sex they just had against Marcel's rule. "Feeling better?"

"Slightly." Harry pressed his lips to Louis' shoulder. "I know it's not my fault."

  
* * * * *  


"I'm exhausted." Marcel declared after dinner, eyes slipping shut as soon as his back hit the bed. 

They just left their babies in their cribs to sleep after such a tiring day outside, and Louis was already asleep on the couch. He had skipped dinner to watch their wonderful pups with Edward not leaving his side. When the other two Alphas returned, they brought food with them.

"I concur." Harry left the closhes and trays on a desk by the window and joined his brother. 

"Edward?" Marcel called to him in the dark room. 

There was an answering growl and jumble of words. 

"Louis needs to eat." Harry pushed himself up and approached them in the living room. 

Edward didn't want to wake Louis up. He curled around the sleepy Omega and draped himself over him. Louis needed his sleep now more than ever. 

"He can eat in the morning, Harry." Marcel says calmly. "Don't wake him up."

"Fine." Harry sniffs and rubs his nose. "Bring him to bed at least."

Edward can do that. He stands up cautiously and hauls Louis into his arms, carrying him over to their shared bed. Louis is put under the covers, his shirt and socks removed then tucked in by Edward. Harry sleeps next to him and Louis doesn't need to be aided when he grabs hold of Harry's two fingers.


	24. Wolf Sex.

**_[A/N: Because we're all 'thirsty' for this scene. So not ashamed. Ahem. If the title of this chapter makes you uncomfortable, please note that it is NOT NECESSARY to read so please don't read then hate on me. You will be ignored. This isn't everyone's cup of tea but majority of my readers asked for it and I have a spot of free time. - S xx]_ **

"My sweet?" Harry extended his hand behind him to his Omega who was following closely, a small hand tugging on his jacket whenever he walked too fast. 

"I've never been to this part of the forest before." Louis points out, not so much afraid as _extremely anxious._

Harry had so easily woken up this morning and crawled over his mate, effectively smashing the petite Omega. When Louis groaned and pinched Harry's hip to get off him, the Alpha growled in a low and suggestive manner that had Louis cracking open his bluest of blue eyes. 

_"We have something to accomplish today." Harry's voice and words were so heavily muffled by his mouth being plunged into the skin of Louis' shoulder._

_"Have we?" Louis combed through the hair of his possessive mate, gentle at the roots and tugging at the curly tips._

_"A surprise one, my sweet." Harry didn't shift as much because of a heavily asleep Marcel hidden in Louis' tummy._

_"Should I prepare something? How scared should I be?"_

_Harry lifted his head and pulled the silk sheet he covered himself with up to where he hovered above his better half. "You will be with me. There's no reason to ever be afraid with me."_

Now they're here in the thickest part of the forest that's sufficiently far away from the Styles estate. Marcel and Edward have been left in charge of the babies, even if Louis didn't want to leave and had to be physically carried away. 

"I would hope not." Harry took Louis' daintier paw, putting his mate ahead of him. 

Louis has been brought to the brink of a river that flowed in a shallow bed and Louis was not impressed. He gave Harry a challenging look and held back when Harry kept moving. 

"I'm not getting wet today, Alpha." Louis could be stomping his foot and pouting. 

Harry rolled his eyes and bent in half to haul his stubborn Omega over his shoulder. Not only did it resemble a fireman's carry but Louis would be rubbing his bum against Harry's cheek with any motion he initiated. Why couldn't he just be allowed to stay in bed? What is with the exertion over a hike such as this? It's absurd.

"This is absurd." Louis tells Harry, holding on tightly to the tail of the Alpha's deep blue shirt with a breast pocket. 

"You're a fussy one." Harry waded through the low tide of water without worrying for the soon to be drenched state of his jeans.

"The water looks cold, Hazza." Louis points out quietly. 

"I don't feel it." Harry encircles his mate's extremely low hip section with a firm arm as he ascends the gentle slope on the other end of the river. "We're here."

Harry carefully sets Louis on his feet, straightening up his deceptively uncooperative lumbar region. He grabs Louis by the side of his face a gives him a crippling deep kiss. The Omega whimpers at the sudden pressure on his lips, parting the entry to let his mate dominate him. 

"A cave?" Louis looks over the gathering of boulders at the gaping mouth of a stone cave covered with moss and vines. 

"Come." Harry led him over the tricky rock ledges towards the cave and past the vines curtaining the entrance. 

The forest disappeared from around them and Louis looked at the cave walls with clean grey stone, smooth and cool without being cold. He's utterly lost for a conclusion on why Harry brought him here. 

"Hazza?" Louis fits himself between Harry's arms and against his chest, palms flat over the Alpha's pectorals. 

His eyes sparkled as they met his mate's. Harry smirked down at him, leaning in closer to meet the Omega's lips with his own. He smiles when Louis tilts his head, drawing in a quick breath before reimbursing their deep kiss. Louis' bottom lip was sandwiched between both of Harry's, swelling up. 

"It's been a week and three days." Harry lifts Louis into the air, crooking the boy's thighs over his waist. "I want to redeem what was promised to me."

Louis still doesn't understand fully what he's on about. "What did I promise you?" _Why does it require a cave?_

"Gonna knot you-" Harry fanned his fingers out on the back of Louis' head. "-with my wolf."

He won't be able to survive a wolf knot, especially not Harry's. Wolves were their natural forms and over time with the ageing of magic, their abilities and features were compressed into the suit of a human. It's only natural and logical that everything - knot size included - grew when in their wolves. 

At first Louis' response is to flee.

Harry is cackling when he drags Louis back to the safety of the nest he's formed in this homely cave. He pins Louis against the nearest wall with the Omega's wrists on either side of his beautiful face, stepping between his legs and looming over him. Their faces were no further apart than a page's breath. 

"I will have you, my sweet. I haven't been in my other form for a week and three days, which is well over enough time to become starved." Harry could see that his mate wasn't well and truly afraid of him, which is the only reason he wasn't stopping the processions. "My wolf hasn't had a taste of you. It isn't fair, my beloved."

Louis' heart picks up the pace by stampeding against the bone cage of his thoraxic cavity. He stares into his mate's blazing eyes with a soft whimper from his inner submissive and willing separation of his thighs. His feet are lifts off the ground very slightly when Harry hoists him up. 

He curls his fingers against Harry's wrists and turns mellow from the inside-out. Harry grabs Louis by his hips and jerk him forward until they're chest-to-chest. His large paws slide down Louis' curved back with their foreheads pressed together, until his palms can grope Louis' bum. 

The Omega wraps one arm around Harry's neck, his other hand clutching the Alpha's shirt. Their hearts were aligned and Harry's groping turned into slow, bordering on painful kneading. Louis' hand slid up to Harry's cheek and he pressed in a little harder below the Alpha's cheekbone. 

"I'm going to give you the chance to run." Harry spoke against Louis' visibly unnoticeable but definitely puffy lips. 

Louis gives his neck to his Alpha to mark up and kiss. He whines in a high pitch when Harry's teeth sink into the bond mark over his throat. His Alpha making him run, introducing the opportunity to be caught and his mate proving himself to him by making him submit is very alluring to an Omega. 

"Go." Harry pulled himself away harshly before he went back on his word, and patted Louis' behind. "Go now, my sweet." 

"You'll follow?" Louis reached for Harry and got his pulse point nipped. 

"Of course I will." Harry tightened his fists so he doesn't touch his mate before it's time. "Change into your wolf before I find you."

Harry's Alpha timbre struck home in a deep pit of Louis' stomach. His spine tingled and his mind raced as it mapped out a route back to the river. He was let go and took off in a sprint towards the woods, tumbling over small stones and uprooted plants that were growing back. The sun beat down on his back and got soaked into his pores, giving him fair dosages of energy. 

He changes into his wolf, silvery white and soft fur on short legs. Before he could hear the loudest of the river hitting sharp rock he crashed into the soil of the ground, Harry as a bigger wolf on his back with jaws gripping his neck. His whine went unheard but it wasn't of pain, as Harry hadn't used his teeth when he kept Louis on his back. 

The very edges of Harry's pointed teeth dug into Louis' tummy, rendering no bleeding but no movement either. Louis was forced to remain quiet and still, letting his Alpha explore his wolf's body. Wolves have mated for ancient generations in their wolf forms, and Harry being one of the few greatly traditional _Alfa's_ left meant he was greatly pleased with this progress. 

Harry licked his snout and pressed his nose into Louis' lower tummy, nuzzling the fur with a rumbling growl that caused the first round of slick to be produced in Louis' body. The smaller wolf wiggled about as the slick soaked his fur, dabbing Harry's muzzle and tongue. 

Louis didn't want to do this out here so he squirmed and got himself free from under Harry. The Alpha captured Louis' tail and yanked him back, the more powerful black wolf scenting his mate's behind. He had to pull away again, go against his nature and instincts to nudge Louis along until they reached the cave. 

As soon as his paws hit the stone floor, Louis' chest was rumbling with the result of a shove from his Alpha. He snarled over his shoulder, and Harry gave his mate an apologetic lick behind his ear. Louis turned around and his knees fell weak against the ground, relying on his mate to support him. 

Harry drew a breath and when Louis' tail moved out of the way, a symbol for ages indicating that his mate was willing, he surged forward. The slick supply was tougher to get a taste simply because they weren't in their human forms, but Harry tried anyway. Louis was budged and nudged until he fell forward with his hind legs quivering still upright. 

He was mounted before he could blink, a loud sound escaping him that didn't sound at all human. His teeth were bared as his claws stuck into the ground, trying to keep from slipping further. Harry's front legs were hooked over his waist, their hind regions pressed up together with a heavy c*ck against his hole. 

The slick his aroused body seemed to be creating by the gallon began dripping down his legs and onto the floor. Harry was easily three times his size and his hind legs buckled under the sheer pressure. He let out several sounds of excitement but withheld the confusion. 

Louis pawed at the ground, picking himself back up with Harry's aid. The Alpha started moving his hips and Louis fought the ache in his belly from Harry stretching his body with the girth of his length. It felt so much bigger being inside him now, but Louis' inner Omega was unhealthily greedy for it. He let it tear him apart in the only way it can be pleasurable, sear his insides and dribble his clenching walls with precome. 

Harry gave his all to Louis, thrusting in and out of the body he desired in life and death. His hips were faltering more than they would if he was in his human state, not accustomed to love making in this form. After enough stimulation on his pulsating erection, Harry pounded the prostate of his mate to ensure an earlier orgasm. Louis' wolf crumbled weakly and he came across the floor with a howl, soon drowned out by his Alpha's when his knot inflated. 

His energy from earlier was exhausted and his body gave out, falling onto his side with his tail squashed and Harry filling him up with his seed.

  
* * * * *  


They've done it two times more and both times were completely fine with Louis. Harry's knot would go down after half an hour while they slept to rest, and he'd spent an unreasonable amount of time worshipping, with his tongue, the area where his mate's body leaked his come. 

After discovering that Louis didn't get particularly sensitive in his wolf form and body, Harry threw him on his back or pushed him down on his front before diving in. The sight was nothing short of obscene and especially since Harry never let Louis get back on his feet until he was full. 

If Harry was possessive when they were around others and had two legs, the Alpha was a madman now. He didn't let Louis leave the cave in the six hours they spent there, went out hunting and came back with a doe that he offered Louis instead of letting the Omega find food himself. 

When they changed back Louis had jelly for legs and lay sprawled over Harry's chest, between his legs, and exhausted. 

"What have you _done_?" Harry rubbed Louis' back, all the way down at the base where the boy was sore. 

"Excuse me?" Louis pressed his thumb to Harry's nipple, comforting himself with the warmth of his Alpha. 

"I'm going to have to do this everyday, my sweet." 

Harry snuck his hand lower and easily slipped two fingers past the stretched rim of Louis' muscle, against the walls that had come to mould themselves around Harry. He extracts the appendages when Louis started to fidget. 

"Absolutely not, you caveman." Louis poked Harry's torso with his index. "I mean it literally this time."

**_[A/N: To make the formal announcement regarding GNA - There will NOT be a sequel, same ruling as with Animal. The reason why will be up on my Wattpad page soon but also posted in Impulse's final chapter when it releases. I love, love, love all of you. Each and every single one of you have brought smiles to my face and that's something I'll remember forever. - S xx]_ **


	25. Pieces Of Me.

**_[A/N: Don't look at me that way. I see you sniggering. I just thought up something at the conventional hour of midnight and thought it would be cute for this story. I also really miss this story. - S xx]_ **

Louis was on his way back from the kitchen with Marcel, a quick meal for dinner over a single candle's flame at a stainless steel table was good enough for them. They both were going to skip dinner with the family to look after the pups and Louis knows that Marcel has been eagerly awaiting his turn for days now.

"Alpha, I have two legs of my own." He keeps batting Marcel's hands whenever his mate tries to lift him off the ground.

"Two very beautiful legs." Marcel says wondrously, walking one step behind Louis with his arms locked over the Omega's shoulders. They were hardly getting anywhere with how slow they moved. "Two very beautiful legs that I'd appreciate the opportunity to praise after our babies are asleep."

Marcel never goes through the phase of Alpha males fantasising about imaginary Omegas. He has his dream mate to wake up next to every single day. 

Louis' cheeks heated up as did his heart skip a beat the way it did when he first met the Styles triplets. He turns his head to the side and plants an affectionate smooch on the Alpha's cheek. 

"Nice try, Marcel." He laughed and listened to his dominant mate grumble in defeat. "Tomorrow is a big day for you and your brothers. Are you nervous?"

They were a few feet away from their bedroom door and Louis' maternal side was already flaring at the faint scents of his babies. He had left them under the care of their other two fathers, aware that Harry hardly got to spend time with his pups because of duties as a Styles.

"It's a fitting, pumpkin spice. How could it ever make me nervous?" Marcel asks in disbelief, chuckling and pecking Louis' shoulder.

"What if it doesn't _fit_?" Louis teases, earning a playful growl from his mate.

Tomorrow is the day they get a new type of armour tried on that every Styles ought to have for whatever maddeningly silly reason Louis hardly heard from Harry. He was playing with Bellamy and Alexander at the time, effectively earning forgiveness.

However as Harry's mate he had to care for the Alpha when he was in distress or troubled emotionally. Therefore, hours after the babies were put to sleep he went to find Harry in the study hanging his head low by the fireplace. He found out then that some trouble could be headed their way because of a rebellion against the treaty, which meant every fit Alpha had to prepare for anything.

Days later they found out that the threat had been eradicated and terminated but the Alphas still wanted to get their new armour. The technology behind it is said to be mighty expensive and cutting-edge. Louis had raised his eyebrow and giggled because of course Alphas would be attracted to shiny things.

Marcel opened the door to their bedroom for Louis and let him walk in first, shutting it soundly behind them. Inside was suspiciously quiet except for one voice, deep and gruff, coming from the giant bed pushed against the far wall. Louis immediately searched for his babies, stepping further into the room to find the most precious sight he'll probably ever see.

Edward was asleep on his side, body curled a little inward to form a C with his abdomen and legs. The wide restriction was where their pups lay on their fronts, wide awake but paying attention to Harry. He was telling them something whilst lying on his front, mirroring Theo's posture as his son babbled nonsense along with him.

"-...and then the most gorgeous Omega, your mother, walked in." Harry whispered into Theo's little hand that was holding his lip. 

He turned his head to smile at Louis and his brother. Louis' heart stuttered at the memory of a time when Harry couldn't do more than cause his lips to twitch. Marcel kissed Louis' head and went to the bathroom, but Louis went to his other Alpha.

"Hi." He kissed Harry's lips and Theo's palm when his baby held out his hand for affection. "Hello, baby Theo."

Louis took an unorthodox seat straddling Harry's back, his knees folded on either side of the man's ribs. He kissed Theo's forehead and Bellamy's cheek. The baby girl giggled and made tiny spit bubbles while she tried crawling towards her mother. 

Alexander made a loud noise of happiness when he spotted Louis, his little arms flailing until Louis leaned in and nuzzled his neck. This pup was a lot more primal in that way. He preferred cuddling and kitten licks over kisses and hugs. Catherine was asleep too and Louis didn't disturb her beyond lifting Edward's hand from her tiny chest to kiss her forehead. 

"Sleep tight, my angel." He whispered in her small ear before putting Edward's hand back.

Harry chuckled when Bellamy started communicating with him with no more than incomprehensible noises. He blew out loudly into her tummy and made her giggle, pretending to bite her tiny fingers before Louis took her.

"Hello, sweetheart." He cradles his sweet daughter in his arms, feeling her heartbeat beneath his fingertips. "Was your conscious father well behaved while I was gone?"

Bellamy replied with a string of babbles, needing Louis to wipe up the spit that comes out of her mouth with his thumb. 

"That was her yes." Harry contributes, turning around to be on his back with Theo across his chest. 

Louis tapped Alexander's nose with his forefinger and the baby grabbed hold of it, trying to bite Louis' finger without teeth. He tended to do this when he was extra playful and only wanted his mother.

"They were such good babies." Harry commented about his puppies, his large hand over Theo's back and bum. 

"Of course they were." Louis gets his finger back when Marcel joins them and picks Alexander up into the air, holding him against his chest afterwards so his strong heartbeat soothed the pup. "By the way, your cousin didn't let us have any of the dessert they're serving at dinner. Could you bring me back some?"

Harry smirked at the request, already knowing his answer. "Yes, my sweet. I'll supply any amount of dessert for you."

Louis looked at him and blushed, kissing Harry's lips when the Alpha sat up straight. Theo made a curious sound between them and reached up to pat the spot where the mates' lips met. Giggling, Louis withdrew and Harry rocked the energetic Theo so he tired. 

Bellamy was nodding off already, having waited all this time just to fall asleep in her mummy's arms. Louis watched his precious angel, most fragile of all his pups sleeping. Her lips were pouted and the sparse hair atop her head not taking on curly ringlets like the triplet pups. She took after him in more than just the shape of her nose and small size.

"To bed now, darling." Louis got off Harry's lap and carefully crawled into his spot next to Edward. 

Very few nights were spent with a full bed, as in puppies and parents. Tonight seemed to be such a night. Harry let Louis settle down before laying a yawning Theo down beside him, kissing both his baby and mate. Marcel got into bed with Alexander communicating something to him with patting his chest, his baby paw not even making a skin-on-skin sound.

"Baby Alex." Louis said in a sing-song voice as he leaned closer and caught his son's fist. "It's sleeping time now, sweet pea."

Alex only yawned and began to tire out when Louis nudged his cheek with his nose, pushing the pup down into a resting position. Louis kissed Alex's chubby cheek and Marcel's plump lips just when Edward began to stir.

"Little dove." Edward was quick to wrap his arms around Louis' waist, eyes still closed and Catherine now in the little nest with her siblings between Louis and Marcel. 

"Hello, Alpha." Louis was thumbing over Catherine's narrow chest. She always slept on her back. 

Edward wanted his kiss before he looked upon the world's entities. He got it when Louis turned his head to the side and connected their lips. "Must I go now?"

"Yes." Harry replied from where he was buttoning up his white dress shirt at the mirror.

"I believe so." Louis giggled, scratching Edward's stubble with his fingernails. "Go on, Alpha."

Resistant, Edward draped himself over Louis from behind and breathed shallowly into his submissive's neck. He found his bond mark and kissed it over and over. 

"Edward." Harry growled from the closet, tossing a crisp shirt at his brother. 

"Go, Edward." Louis encouraged with a twinkle in his eye. "Go and I will attend to you first tomorrow when they bring the new armour in."

He heard two complaining Alpha's groans when he said that, but Edward was up and putting the shirt on before anything more could be said. Harry fake glared at Louis when the Omega giggled and Marcel pouted in disappointment. They were all vying for Louis' assistance first tomorrow morning.

The way the armour fitting will work requires the Alpha's mate present when the heavy metal shields were put on. It was said to be a painful and tedious process that the dominant wolves would need their lovers there for kindness and compassion. Louis wasn't looking forward to seeing his three mates in pain any more than they were.

  
* * * * *  


"Ready?" Louis asked Edward the next day when it was his turn to get himself tried out for the armour.

The Betas in charge of the weaponry were present in the quarters used for the fitting, as were all three Alphas and Louis from their nest. Their babies were left in the care of the triplets' cousins because as much as Louis wanted to be with them, he had responsibilities to his Alphas as well.

Edward rolled his eyes but gave Louis a smirk that said it all about his confidence. Louis had to step back as Edward transformed fluidly into his wolf, an automatic growl rippling out of his chest. The wolf is much taller than Louis and bowed his head to his Omega in a respectful manner.

Louis smiled warmly at the wolf and brushed Edward's muzzle with his small hand, dropping a kiss between his eyes. He steps back to let an unfamiliar Beta come closer with a gold-plated helmet that had a flat head to fit between Edward's eyes, then small slits through which those eyes can see.

Harry is beside him to watch in intrigue as his brother is dressed in the armour. The helmet fits heavily onto Edward's head, concealing most of his face and the metal expands to seal at his chin. Edward huffs uncomfortably and that's Louis' cue. 

"It can't be that bad, Alpha." He secures the sides of Edward's heavy head and brushes the fur on his neck with cautious fingertips. 

The metal does feel heavy and Edward releases a very unpleasant snarl when another Beta straps the shield onto his back. More steel start to unfold from the circular sheets and lock around Edward's torso so it is firm. Louis only finds it to be going overboard when he witnesses the helmet expand at the front like melted gold that connect with Edward's canines, his sharpest and strongest teeth.

"What is the need for this?" Louis asks Harry, trying to soothe Edward who was continually licking over the gold sheaths on his teeth. 

"I don't know, sweet." Harry examined the solid structure of the armour by grabbing Edward a lot less delicately. His hand was around the top of the helmet and when Edward howled, he growled louder. 

"Stop that." Louis removed Harry's inquisitive hands from his other mate and felt Edward resting the weight of his head over his shoulder. "You'll get your turn."

Edward had peace for the rest of the fitting. Louis kissed some part of him everytime something painful happened and brushed his muzzle when the helmet got too tight. It was the least pleasant experience. 

Harry went next and although he was less concerned with the physical pain involved, Louis treated him like a baby anyway just for a reaction. Edward sat on the ground still in his wolf and armour by Marcel while Louis watched the gold melt over Harry's canines and his reflex of licking over the metal act out.

"Okay?" Louis ran his fingers through Harry's fur on his throat, looking the majestic wolf in the eye. 

Harry's wolf made a short noise that wasn't too unhappy and his Omega smiled. Louis watched them strap on the remaining pieces and the automatic extensions file out like snakes to wrap around Harry's belly in a saddle structure. He watched Harry scrape the ground with his paws as it became too heavy and his back quivered with the strain.

"What's wrong?" Louis asked in concern, but all Harry did was nudge him closer and hide the Omega against him. "Does your back hurt?"

Harry didn't respond but Louis had his arms around the wolf's neck, his chest against the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. His instincts were sending up alarms. He _knew_ when something was wrong.

"Tell me, Harry." He begged urgently. Only the Omega can be told if their mate is in pain, but Harry is a stubborn arse when it came to strength.

Marcel and Edward were watching attentively when Louis started whispering in Harry's ear. He was asking for the truth here but Harry wasn't giving in no matter how much his back was aching, was starting to shake with unsteadiness. It felt like each muscle was burning up, turning to ash from the flame. It _hurt_ because the armour was too heavy, too burdening.

"Take it off him." Louis knew he didn't have permission from his mate to do that but he wasn't going to let Harry get hurt. 

Harry's head snapped in the Betas direction and he snarled with his teeth bared, making them back down.

"Listen to me!" Louis challenged, desperate to get the shields off. "Take it _off_ right now."

As much as Harry was growing angry like a pot of simmering water turning to rapid boiling, nobody ever expected him to growl at Louis in a way that made the windows rattle. His jaws parted and snapped shut, teeth on full display to threaten his mate.

Edward was on his feet but Louis stopped him. He didn't let him come any closer as he didn't step an inch away from his formidable and frightening mate, looking into those mismatched eyes like they were his home but he was just shut-out.

"If you can handle it then fine." Louis stepped to the side and Harry's gaze followed him, hot and focused as his shoulders straightened so he stood up tall. He looked at the Betas. "Leave."

The Betas left without needing further warning.

Marcel's eyes almost bulged out of his sockets when he saw something he didn't believe Louis would do. His Omega grabbed the dip in the first shield and pulled himself up onto Harry's back. Harry couldn't see him and his hind legs shivered with the added mass, his chest rumbling with a howl of pain. 

Edward found this very amusing as Louis had never dared to be this forward before. He set his head down on his front paws and watched anxiously.

Louis straddled the space closest to Harry's neck. His legs were on either side of the Alpha's tall, broad shoulders and his fingers were threaded through Harry's fur. He knew he had to be hurting the Alpha greatly but it didn't seem like Harry responded to anything other than pain. 

Harry made it for a minute and a few beats before his wolf gave out and collapsed. His knees hit the ground as he still made to be in a neatly seated position with Louis safely perched on his back. He was demotivated by this shame but Louis wasn't holding a grudge. 

Moving slowly, Louis got to his feet and slid off Harry's back to walk around the beast's side. He kneeled in front of his brute of a mate and removed the helmet with a small mechanism in the corner, watching Harry's eyes follow him in everything he did.

"You act like you don't know I love you." Louis said softly and slowly caressed the side of Harry's head, scratching with blunt nails. "There is no war to fight now, Alpha. Let me take care of your back then you can try the armour on again."

Harry only became gratified when the Omega tucked himself under his chin, cradled by his paws. Louis felt his Alpha relax after the reprimanding he got a moment before he was crowded in by a heavy, nearly black muzzle pressing into his front. He laughed and kissed Harry's fur between his ears, embracing the Alpha even when a large paw trapped his legs. 

"I love you." He said in Harry's ear, pressing his lips to Harry's jaw. 

Harry has changed so much over the time that Louis' been with him, the alteration has been remarkable. He wasn't upset with Louis after this debacle, letting his anger dwindle to nothing when he understood his mate's intentions. As an Alpha he never wanted his strength challenged but as a mate, he was never meant to attack Louis the way he almost did.

  
* * * * *  


"My sweet. My only love. My soul-mate." Harry kept murmuring into Louis' neck later that night with his face buried there and arms wound his Omega's hips. "My beloved. My _Krasa_."

Louis blew out an exasperated breath and turned around from brushing his teeth to raise an eyebrow at Harry. "My _Alfa_?"

"I am sorry, my sweet." Harry cupped Louis' cheek and urgently jerked him forward, their chests flush against each other's. "I can never apologise truly for what I did today."

"Harry, I told you the past thirteen times. It's okay, love." He assures his kicked puppy of an Alpha. Harry has only become this way after nine months with four actual pups of his own blood. 

"I'd never hurt you." Harry hugs Louis close to him, kissing the boy's forehead and breathing in his calming scent of citrus and _their babies._

"I know." Louis spoke softly, in a small voice. He pecked Harry's bare pectoral and clavicle in turn. "I know you'd never hurt me."

Harry suddenly grew a smirk and Louis watched his eyes darken. "You were very alluring today trying to tame me."

" _Tame_ isn't the word I'd use, Alpha." Louis sucked in a sharp intake of air when Harry nipped at his bond mark. 

"It's the one I'd use." Harry chuckled, hands sliding down lower to the forbidden territory of Louis' glorious behind. He hummed and pushed Louis' head aside to fervently bury his face in the crook of his neck. "Let me...-"

"Nope." Louis pushed him away altogether and hopped off his perch on the counter, side-stepping Harry when the man tried to capture him again. "You were still naughty."

"Naughty?!" Harry followed his Omega with his eyes, watching him with a dying flame in his chest. "My sweet, come back!"

**_[A/N: I MISS THIS STORY. THOUGHTS??? - S xx]_ **


	26. A Dynasty Of Our Own.

**_[A/N: If you have ideas for prompts in this story, feel free to comment with them :) - S xx]_ **

"What?" Louis blinked incredulously at his mate, spoonful of cereal frozen mid-air. 

He was on Edward's lap for breakfast this morning and his Alpha had quite the raunchy idea in mind to spend their day away from everyone. Harry and Marcel took the babies out to explore Styles territory which left a coherent Edward and blushing Louis to themselves.

"Come on, little dove." Edward's chest rumbled as he nuzzled his Omega's neck. "You'll enjoy it."

Louis' inner submissive would _thrive_ on the opportunity to take an Alpha's knot from wolf to human, but he also has four energetic puppies to look after and being thoroughly sore - as appealing as it was - would not be ideal.

"Doesn't matter." Louis moved his head out of the way when Edward's version of cuddling almost hurt his jaw. "The babies need me to not be limping after them."

"You have three Alphas." Edward smirked into Louis' racing pulse, picking up on the rising levels of pheromones from his beauty of a mate. "We can handle the pups."

"Still." Louis wiggled, Edward growled and pecked his mating mark. "I don't think I'd survive your knot in this form."

When Harry took him to a cave that's now theirs forever, Louis almost fainted at the thought of taking a knot when he's still human. It's been weeks since then and he's strangely more open to the idea upon being asked. His schedule is not, however.

"You will, little dove." Edward chuckled. "You'll survive and you get to make Marcel blush from it."

The youngest Alpha in their nest was always so shy when it came to unconventional sex. Whereas Harry or Edward would do whatever Louis or they thought might be especially exciting, Marcel held back for fear of causing harm.

"I will do no such thing." Louis poked Edward's shoulder, looking proud after a beat. "And you do know that he's already spoken about this...fantasy?"

Edward's jaw drops. "What?"

"Yup." Louis happily munches on more cereal. "He didn't ask, just sorta put it out there."

"Well fuck."

Louis giggles in his magical, serene way. He kisses Edward with sugary and milky lips. "If you promise to not gloat to him, I'll say yes."

"Fu- I _promise_." Edward hastens to reply, gripping Louis' fleshy hips with both large paws. 

"Good." Louis feeds Edward a spoon of soggy Cheerios. "He's just really nervous about things and I don't like to push him."

"What did he say?" Edward presses the matter. "Did he just say the idea of fucking-"

"Make love." 

Edward smiled fondly at Louis. "The idea of _making love_ with you as you and he as a wolf would be romantic?"

"It could be." Louis twirled some of Edward's locks of chocolate hair with his fingers. "Although, your wolves are so big. I'd be crushed, wouldn't I?"

"No, beloved." His Alpha replied. "I know how to take care of you, little dove."

"You do." Louis wrapped his arms around Edward's neck. "Okay, we can try."

Edward's grin was undeniable. Getting to love his mate in his wolf form will be an actual dream of recent history coming true for him. He loves his precious Omega so much and wants to prove how worthy he is in both forms.

"You promise to be careful?" Louis asked, chewing on his bottom lip. 

"I swear on the ground I walk on." Edward responded, true from his heart even if he's a little distracted by the swelling in his pants.

  
* * * * *  


Louis' limp was irreversible. He was made to lie down after a far too strenuous love-making session with his adventurous mate, lower half burning like it was engulfed in steam and flames. Edward joined him on the couch while Louis nibbled on popcorn, smirking when his beloved rolled his eyes at him.

"How are you feeling, little dove?" Edward rubbed Louis' sides as he slid into place behind him. 

"Sore." Louis sniffed and clutched his blanket tighter. He melted into Edward's hold and embrace. 

"Hmm." Edward tangled their legs together and nuzzled the mother of his pups, offering affection. He knew how Louis had to be feeling after taking a wolf's knot. "You were so lovely though, little dove. I love you."

Louis arched his back and wiggled his way onto Edward's lap, cuddling into his mate's chest where it was far more comfortable to watch the TV. He wasn't even sure what show was on, as long as he had one of his mates to snuggle with him. Louis didn't do more than swat Edward's arm when the cheeky Alpha pinched his much too sensitive bum. 

"Aren't you going to say it back?" Edward teased when Louis stayed silent, distracted as night dawned and his babies still weren't home. 

Louis giggled when he was attacked with the kisses Edward gives to their pups, failing to fend off the Alpha's offence. "Edward! Sto- Alpha, stop!"

Just then the massive door to their quarters opened and the scent of his formerly absent mates waft into the room. Louis catches Edward by his ears and kisses the Alpha before hopping off the couch by jumping over him. Edward takes a chance and steals another firm squeeze to Louis' bottom.

"Stop doing that." Louis hissed playfully at his stubborn mate and tried to hide the gait in his step when he went to see his babies.

"As if I would, little dove." Edward fell back with a lonely sigh onto the couch and his chest rumbled involuntarily with the scent of his pups.

Harry was the first to walk in with two possessive pups hoisted in his arms, each one taking residence on his shoulders. "As if my brother would what?"

Louis rolled his eyes and went to ensure his babies were okay. They were all partly asleep, Marcel carrying the other two in his arms. Alexander was the one refusing to fall asleep and all but leaped into Louis' arms when his mother came into view.

"Hello there, Alex." Louis took his son from Harry and situated him against his chest, kissing the pup's forehead. "How were they?"

"You speak as if we're nannies, pumpkin." Marcel chuckles as he dumps the bag they'd taken in a corner of the room and balances Catherine with Bellamy. 

Louis crawls into the grand master bed they all shared and crossed his legs, laying Alexander down on his back. "You're just full of energy, aren't you? Just like your father."

Marcel pouted but didn't say anything. Alexander's big green eyes got heavier by the second and it took Louis leaning down to nuzzle his soft neck for the pup to get tired. Louis lightly tickled his sides and the pup yawned in a high pitch.

"Sleep, lovely." Louis got to see his son close his eyes when Bellamy was put into his arms, his most fragile baby already fast asleep with parted lips and balled fists.

Theo slept on his front when Bellamy was laid out next to him, then Catherine was put to rest by Edward. Louis fawned over his babies while Marcel showered and Harry threw himself onto the bed, burying his face in Louis' thighs.

"How was your day?" Louis neatened up Harry's curls with his fingers, the ones that mirrored Theo's. 

Harry growled and wrapped his arms around Louis' waist, terribly tight in doing so. "Eventful."

Louis kissed Edward when the latter came to escort all the babies to their correct cradles. He was about to have Harry tell him all about their day when Marcel stepped out looking sinfully fresh in just a towel and his hair soaking wet, dark ringlets sticking to his neck and sides of his face. 

"Go shower." Marcel is obviously delivering on a reminder Harry asked of him by tossing his wet towel at his older brother so it swathed his head.

Trying not to remember a time before he walked into the triplets' lives, Louis watches with fondness as Harry grumpily slides off the bed. He doesn't miss a chance to glare at his youngest brother on his way to the bathroom. Once Harry has disappeared into that room, Marcel makes sure to climb on top of Louis.

"Would you like tummy tickles too?" Louis allows his arms to wind themselves around Marcel's neck.

Instead of that, his Alpha roughly nuzzled Louis' neck where his bond mark lay scarred on the boy's neck. He was bare all over and heavy against his mate's body that's so much weaker than his. Louis' legs were on either side of him, knees bent in the air to cradle his naked Alpha's form.

"I'm not a child, pumpkin spice." Marcel scattered kisses over Louis' neck and clavicle whilst drawing one of the many covers to hide his nude lower half. "I am, however, in need of your affection at the moment."

Louis cooes at his lovely mate and brushes through Marcel's silky hair with his fingertips. He let's his Alpha lay his head on his chest to hear the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. "Did something happen?"

"No." Marcel clears his throat. "Would you like to know what your pups were up to today?"

"Yes please." Louis was always eager to know how his babies were entertained when he was absent. 

"Well-" Marcel thinks back to this morning after Louis hesitated at the door when they had to leave. "-we visited the courtyard and cousin Amber was mediating a fight between two wolves at the time."

"What?!" Louis failed in volume control. He was horrified to think that his mates allowed his pups anywhere near volatile wolves when they're so defenseless.

Edward chuckles as he returns from brushing his teeth, shaking his head as he wipes the water's remnants from his jaw and climbs into bed. "He's bluffing, dove."

"He ought to be." Louis pokes Marcel's bicep while the Alpha cackles and buries his face lower in his tummy. "What did you actually do with my babies?"

"We went for a very long walk in the city and took a boat down the canal in town." Marcel narrates briefly. "See the bag we brought back?"

Louis glances in the direction of the leather satchel. "Yes?"

"Harry bought over fifteen things from the village because the babies wanted 'em." Marcel yawns and rubs his eyes with the heels of his palms. 

"Aw." Louis looked up and saw his baddest mate step out of the bathroom after flipping its light off, covering just his lower half in sweatpants. "He could never resist their begging and they can't even speak yet."

Harry bids goodnight to their pups by bending over the edge of their shared cradles and kissing their foreheads. He turns off the light nearest to them before returning to the master bedroom and winks at Louis when their eyes meet after several seconds. Edward is just pulling away from Marcel after relating an insufficiently detailed story about what he and Louis got up to today, leaving his brother a hot mess of jealousy.

"My sweet." Harry greets his mate when he gets in under the comforter and folds one leg under the other.

Louis pulls himself up and latches onto Harry's upper half, dragged onto the Alpha's lap and between his legs for warmth. His feet were always so cold and they found themselves tucked in between Marcel's legs while Edward slept staring at the ceiling.

"Alpha." Louis nibbled on Harry's pulse and settled into the Alpha's embrace instantly. 

His hand wrapped around two of the man's fingers and his consciousness faded slowly.

"He really let you?" Marcel couldn't believe what Edward told him and had to further interrogate his smug brother.

"He?" Harry turned his head towards their conversation, a quirked eyebrow and his chin hooked over the top of Louis' head. 

"Louis." Marcel specifies for him in a whisper. "Edward told me that Louis let him knot him."

"Well-" Harry frowns, confused by Marcel's befuddlement. "-I believe that is sanctioned and condoned by our bond."

"No, no." Marcel pushes himself up into a seated position, his legs crossed and Edward's eyes full of mirth. " _Knot_ him. As a wolf."

Harry remains silent, his brain shortcircuiting with lack of understanding. He looks at his mate, really _looks_ at him to detect any differences from the sleeping boy but there's hardly any. 

"I didn't hurt him if that's what you're thinking." Edward snapped at his older brother who doubted him so much obviously. 

Harry shook his head instead and bit his lip. "Did he really?"

  
* * * * *  


Louis was preparing breakfast in the grand Styles kitchen the next day, because he wanted to have all sorts of ingredients to be extravagant. His work was cut out for him when one by one his Alphas strolled in carrying his sleepy babies. Theo was wide awake though and clung to Louis, screeching whenever Harry tried to separate them.

"Leave him. I've got him." Louis had to improvise while he cooked and stole a shirt off Edward's back to fasten around him, securing his pup in its cradle too.

Theo was very pleased with this and remained quiet whilst watching Louis prepare a meal, making curious sounds during the chopping or blending. Louis was more than happy to explain what he was doing during his small breaks when he let his pup nurse directly from him.

On top of dealing with the odd tug on his sensitised nipple each time Theo suckled, Louis noticed that he was being _watched_. Not watched like he normally was as a passing glance or smile, but all three of his unnerving Alphas had their dark eyes concentrated on him. It scared him for he felt their stares when he turned around even.

"Um." Louis clears his throat and finally sets Theo down in his highchair, one amongst three others. "Is something wrong?"

Harry looked downright feral and Edward was the least frightening, but Marcel looked thoroughly uprooted and _troubled_. It worried Louis that he couldn't read their feelings through their bond which meant they were trying very hard to hide it.

The pups were busied by their assorted breakfasts of mashed fruit and dry cereal, babbling away to each other while Alexander attempted to growl. It was more of harmless grumbles like when Louis tried to be really angry. Despite them being a year old already, the pups rarely spoke.

Louis was welcomed into Marcel's lap effortlessly. That comfort didn't stop the Alpha from relentlessly nuzzling, bumping and growling at random spurts of time. Louis folded his legs across Marcel's tall thighs and leaned back into the broad chest behind him. Harry was staring at him with such a squint that it unnerved Louis down to his finest self-doubt.

"Did I.....do something wrong?" Louis suggests in this terrifying silence rendered by his Alphas, although it seems Edward is not as affected. "Edward?"

When he asks the Alpha, his mate is all too willing to answer. His smirk holds his lips curled and amused for the most part. "They're boiling with jealousy because-"

Harry raises his head in a proud but disgruntled manner, clearing his throat. "Because you let _Edward's wolf_ have a taste of you."

Louis realises then what he means and widens his eyes in belated shock, a blush colouring his cheeks so bubblegum red that Marcel can feel it against his lips when he kisses that part of the boy. Through their bond that's as strong as iron ore and all the diamonds in the world, all three Alpha receive Louis' reaction of embarrassment. 

Only Edward is the one to be smug and feigning humility when he's still coming off the high his mate allowed him have the day prior. "Watch what you say to him, brother."

Harry growls at his brother, threatening and domineering. He will not be told what to do as if he doesn't know how to care for his nest. The pups watch them but only distractedly and when Theo tries to emulate his father, Bellamy gets offered some of his mashed bananas by her brother.

"I'm sorry, my sweet." Harry apologises to his mate where he's being incessently cuddled by Marcel's possessive arms.

Louis smiles reassuringly at his Alpha and picks up a slice of buttered toast from Edward's plate. "I've grown accustommed to you three by now. Your pups are no different as well."

The topic easily switches temporarily to the doings and favourite hobbies of their pups. Marcel presses tiny pecks over his bond mark, neat and uniformed. Louis talks animatedly and fondly of how his pups resemble their fathers in their attempts to be trained and grow up quickly. 

Harry is most proud of the way Theo threatens those who try to clean up his mess before he's done, unless it's Louis or Bellamy that's crawling into that space. Alexander is much too similar to Marcel. He lives as wolf even when he's in his human form, wanting comfort and to be fed as a wolf does. 

Edward fawns over his daughter, Catherine, that's so sweet on the outside and so spellbinding with her deep green eyes. They were an exact replica of his own. Cathy loved to crawl onto her father's back and fall asleep between his shoulderblades or leave the faintest teethmarks behind where she tried to better the skill of her bite.

"I want to take them out today." Harry announces once he's pushed away his finished bowl of oatmeal. He picks berries out from the dish in the middle of their table.

Louis is picking Alexander out of his high chair to feed him after discovering that this pup of his refuses to eat on his own. "Absolutely not, Alpha."

Edward pipes up to back up his brother. "Come with us. We'll go hunting, little dove."

"As a family." Marcel finishes for him, his chin hooked over Louis' shoulder to watch his pup feeding his mate.

Alexander was in Louis' arm, his bare feet against his mother's inner bicep as he babbled nonsense. The spit bubbles between his lips were wiped away by Marcel's thumb, eliciting a growl from the pup. 

"Hey now." Louis taps Alexander's cute button nose with his index finger and leans down to playfully bite the feature. "Don't growl at me, little love."

Harry gets his way when Louis agrees to go on a family hunting trip on Styles territory. Anything beyond that was forbidden because his pups were adventurous and he was not going to risk harming any of them. If a threat presented itself they were more vulnerable with the babies.

In the bedroom again after cleaning up the kitchen, Louis is trying to find suitable clothing for going out into the woods. He's in the closet listening to his pups yap at each other and play together in their shared cradle, when a pair of heavy and broad arms come unbidden around his slim waist.

"Yes?" He tries and fails not to giggle at Harry's scent, the Alpha's face in his neck and chest fitted to his back. 

"My sweet." Harry's hands drop to his hips and push Louis forward, his bulging crotch against his petite mate's behind. "How can you betray me this way?"

"I didn't betray you." Louis gasps and whimpers shortly after when Harry's calloused, cold hands pull unkindly on his pants to expose him. 

Harry pushed Louis' upper body forward and drew his hips back, deft and experienced fingers rubbing against Louis' puckered rim. "For a time today I will steal you away and have my repayment of this debt."

  
* * * * *  


Their pups were having the time of their lives. Although the area Louis allowed them to be brought to was close to the Styles palace, the forest was very easily deceiving. Through the tall pine trees and sharp boulders, it was impossible to say they were so near to home.

They were in a tiny patch of clearing where the grass was in sparse tufts and the dirt under their paws was dry, earthy. Nature was all around them and it was a divine experience to be so connected with it. The pups stuck to their parents at all times and after Marcel brought back one doe for them to feed from, they wanted to catch their own.

Louis was in the center of the small meadow amongst the dandelions and his snow white wolf had a tall neck, watching over his pups as they dirtied themselves rolling around on the ground. He caught Bellamy by her tail when the female pup kept chewing on his. 

Yapping and whining between his jaws, Bellamy got her tummy licked when Louis rolled her onto her back. She wiggled and bit her mother's ear when she was allowed up again. Theo trotted over and stole her away after that, chasing butterflies together under the sunlight peeking through the treetops.

Edward strode over to Louis and nuzzled his mate's neck roughly, a wolf's affection that was thorough and lacking gentility. Louis looked up and got his snout licked by his Alpha, chest rumbling a little. He woke up from his spot on the ground and all the pups look at him, tumbling over eachother to crowd his legs.

He allows his Alphas to take them hunting because he'll be right there to watch over his babies. Harry took Bellamy and Catherine with him to teach them how to catch smaller animals; Marcel took Alexander and Theo refused to leave his mother. Louis didn't know how to hunt because it was never a skill he needed, so he nudged the pup along to join Marcel. 

Harry makes the girls wait by Louis in clear view of his attack before he executes a fluid plan to capture his prey. Instead of something large and intimidating for his baby girls, he catches a hare and lays it at their paws. If Louis were human he'd kiss his mate but all he can do currently is stretch up and lick some of the blood off Harry's muzzle.

Bellamy and Catherine are eager to learn and they catch a tiny squirrel on their first attempt. Harry is proud of their teamwork and rewards them both with encouraging nuzzles. Bellamy latches onto his ear and Harry's wolf playfully drops her to the ground. When he leans down to nip at her belly, his other daughter pounces and defends her sister by chewing on Harry's fur.

Louis leaves that party to themselves and retires to Marcel teaching his sons how to hunt. Theo is absolutely focused on this and so is Alexander, a fresh twist from the freelance behaviour of his daughters. He waits beside a tree, watching his family in perfected adoration.

Marcel is surprisingly less subtle about the hunt, or whether Harry was just being cautious because his girls weren't supposed to hunt until they're declared Alpha or Omega. Marcel captures a live rabbit when it hops desperately away from him. He brings it back squirming and only minimally bleeding, dropping it in front of his sons.

The test came in when his pups had to react. That usually determines to fathers whether their pups are potential Alphas or Betas. Theo pounces on it immediately and so does Alexander, although going for different spots. Louis is both proud and surprised when the rabbit dies shortly after their small attack. It's an accomplishment that's rare when pups hunt for the first time.

Louis makes his way over to them and congratulates his puppies by happily licking behind their ears. Theo and Alexander offer their first kill to him, a small gift for Louis from them. He accepts it with more emotion welling inside him than he can handle. The rabbit is dropped under him and Louis catches Alexander by his paw, cleaning up his pup by licking the blood away from his grey fur. Theo is next and offers himself up for a quick refreshing.

Marcel steps over their celebratory and overzealous pups to snap his jaws at Louis' neck with a soft growl, remnding his mate that he was there too. Louis gave the front of his muzzle a lick. When his Alpha exposed the deadly dagger canines he hid behind his snout, Louis whimpered before nipping at the sharpest one.

The sun is dimming just after noon and Harry comes to take Louis away before they return to their quarters. His Alpha bids adieu to their babies as they yawn and drag their paws back home; Catherine on Edward's back and Bellamy sleeping between Marcel's jaws.

Louis turns around when they're alone in the clearing again, head bowed and mind racing. He feels his Alpha behind him squeaks, his wolf stumbling forward. Harry runs his nose along Louis' soft and snowy tail. His jaws tighten around Louis' hind paw and he forces his mate into succumbing to gravity.

Falling to the ground, Louis growls helplessly and whines when he's flipped onto his back. Harry is there looming above his curled paws and his eyes black with _promise_.

He isn't even given the mercy of privacy in their cave that's marked up with Harry's scent to keep others away. Louis is turned over right there where anyone that's near enough can hear them or walk into the clearing to watch. Harry snarls when Louis doesn't let him taste him yet even with the distinct scent of slick in the air and dampness seeping the white fur of his mate.

Instead of all that, Louis picks himself up and _flees_. His Alpha chases after him on heavy, muscular legs that's built for hunting and destruction. Louis dodges Harry's jaws when the Alpha tries to grab him, a howl filling the air when he gets up on a tall, sharp boulder and Harry can't reach him. 

The howl is of despair and longing. Harry circles the base of the giant rock, licking his snout and stewing in thought. Their bond is dripping with lust and desire, blasting _need_ into their systems. 

Harry got up on his hind legs and scratched the rock in his attempt to reach Louis, his minx of a mate that's lounging on the rock's peak without a care for his suffering. His claws scrape and mark the boulder with deep grooves, his tall form allowing him to just about touch Louis' paw. Louis is on his side, eyes closed and breathing deeply. Harry thinks he's a massive tease and his c*ck agrees.

The Alpha howls to the almost clearly visible moon and Louis wakes up by rolling over to look his dominant mate in the eye. Blue meets hardened green and he brings his face closer, edging towards the cliff of the rock to nuzzle Harry's wolf. They love each other so dearly that the Alpha can't stay angry.

With a questioning rumble from Harry's chest, Louis bites his Alpha's ear and aids him in climbing ontol the rock. The surface is flat and has enough area to allow them space. Harry waits no longer and turns Louis around forcefully, pushing him down but keeping his tail region for himself.

For less than an hour he eats Louis out as thoroughly as he can under the impending moonlight. He licks at the pink and fluttering rim hidden under Louis' tail with a sandpapery and thin tongue, stealing all his mate's slick until his muzzle is drenched in it. With Louis fallen onto the rock, some of it dripped onto the boulder while Harry tried keeping his teeth from hurting Louis.

Harry mounts Louis when he deems his mate ready. Louis is just as divine a wolf as when he is human, the same missing piece to Harry's life that finds itself when their bodies connect. The Alpha male hooks his legs over Louis' waist and shuffles forward until his hard and leaking length is snuggled between Louis' thighs. 

He nibbles on Louis' cheek and enters his mate in no time wasted. Louis' wolf cries out in a whine and let's his head hang between his legs. Harry is so much bigger as a wolf, his knot is extraordinarily large and stuffs Louis full of it when they're locked together. Louis' paws scrape the rock under him to keep his balance, breathing in tiny whiney sounds. 

Harry is fully sheathed inside Louis he can't stop the grumbles from tumbling out of him. His mate is slick and clenching around him, tight heat that's a drug to his wolf. Harry can't wait to leave it filled with his come and sore enough that Louis' wolf is limping. He uses that motivation to move, snapping his hips back and forth. 

Powerful thrusts bruise Louis' prostate and cause his walls to swell, the pleasure too great. Harry pounds into him from behind without an ounce of care or anything beyond not causing physical injury. When Louis starts to slip, his Alpha bites the fur at his neck and yanks him back to stay still. He gets fucked like that for as long as he needs. 

Stars form in his vision and the satisfaction from beind properly ruined inside, precome leaking all over himself. His slick is wetting their fur and his neck might be bleeding from Harry's too sharp teeth digging into it but Louis can't think beyond his beautiful Alpha slamming into him hungrily.

Deeper and deeper Harry pushes into him in precise thrusts, his knot growing so it stretches Louis' rim and exercises it. His c*ck massages Louis' insides in the most pleasurable ways and beats on his special spot so he orgasms first, a high-pitched whine floating into the air. Harry's knot expands fully and he falls with it buried painfully deep inside his mate. His seed floods Louis' system and he takes his mate with him when he collapses onto his side.

Louis is out of breathe and his wheezing inhales are indicative of that. Harry picks up his head and brings it closer to Louis' muzzle, sweetly nudging his mate into a relaxed position. He loves the feeling of emptying himself inside Louis and it's where he always wants to be, to feel. 

His mate scrambles for an explanation, shocked when he feels Harry's tongue on his pink softening length. He leans over and pushes Harry away because he's too sensitive to go again so soon. Harry growls threateningly and nudges Louis back into lying down, a reassuring nuzzle being the only answer he gets.

Louis suffers through Harry's tongue cleaning him up down there and only realises that his Alpha never wanted to go again after his c*ck is sheathed by his fur again. Harry kept him warm from behind and wrapped his tail around his mate's tiny form. 

A noise disturbed Harry's task of licking Louis' fur clean and getting nipped every so often because his mate was trying to rest. It came from the trees and Harry lifted his head to scan the environment, a protective arch about his stance. He still feared something. He was afraid that there was a threat and he couldn't protect his mate because they're locked together.

Instead of something dangerous, his cousin burst through the trees. Amber in her leggy jeans and perfect blond hair, hand in hand with her mate. She spotted the couple on the boulder and broke into applause. Louis thought something else might come of his Alpha but Harry's wolf huffed and laid back down.

"Wish I was surprised, cousin." Amber laughed but not mockingly, still retaining her respect whilst manipulating Harry's fondness for her. "How are you, Louis?"

Louis can only look at her with a small and incoherent rumble. He closes his eyes after that, glad that they're not caught like this in their human forms. Harry covers his mate protectively with his tail, all Louis' shimmering silver fur disappearing under a cloak of black. 

"We were going for a swim but-" Amber looks at her mate that's blushing wildly whilst hiding behind her. "-we can come back later."

Amber takes his mate's hand in hers and leads her away from the mated couple lounging on a smooth rock. They were overlooking a beautiful lake with a glistening water's surface as a form of reflecting the moon. When they're gone back into the wilderness, Louis starts to feel the start of Harry's knot going down. 

He wiggles his bottom when Harry slips out of him smoothly. The Alpha is quick to switch forms but Louis is faster and he plants himself on Harry's lap while the fur is still disappearing. They're both naked and giddy under the light of the moon, Louis giggling as he bends down to connect their lips. 

Harry kisses him back twice as greedily as when Louis commenced the affection. He licks into Louis' mouth and frames his mate's face while perfecting their deepening kiss. Louis moans when the warm starts to leak out of him onto Harry's abdomen, his used and open hole causing friction against the Alpha's abs.

"Are you happy now?" Louis prods at Harry's muscular torso, tugging on his dominant mate's lip. 

"You can paint me satisfied, my sweet." Harry pats Louis' perky behind and sits up, cradling Louis possessively in his arms. "I missed seeing my sons' first hunt."

"I didn't." Louis tucks his face into Harry's neck. "They were so excited to catch that rabbit. Alex and Theo are going to me strong when they're all grown up."

"Strong isn't everything that makes an Alpha, sweet." Harry kisses Louis' throat over his racing pulse. "You must teach my sons to be men and my little girls to be bold women."

Louis smiled proudly into the afternoon sky, navy silk cloth covering the sky so sunlight is blocked out. Birds are going to sleep and other wild animals are coming out to play. The blinking lights of the Styles palace is visible from the lake and it's like a floating heaven amongst the trees.

"We wore the babies out today." Louis quietly says whilst holding himself up so he can watch the lake below them. "They're going to be asleep when we get back."

"Not my pups, no." Harry disagrees, pride swelling in his chest. "They're going to wide awake and crawling all over when we return."

**_[A/N: Boy do I miss this story :( Don't forget to send any questions you have for me via PM or posting on my profile for Wattpad and commenting for AO3. I'm going to do a Q &A session and would love for you guys to send me any type of question(s). All will be answered. - S xx]_ **


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